|
||
Original Article |
Correspondence to: Robert E. Burgeson, CBRC MGH-East Building 149, Charlestown, MA 02129. Tel:(617) 726-4186 Fax:(617) 726-4453
The netrins are a family of laminin-related molecules. Here, we characterize a new member of the family, ß-netrin. ß-Netrin is homologous to the NH2 terminus of laminin chain short arms; it contains a laminin-like domain VI and 3.5 laminin EGF repeats and a netrin C domain. Unlike other netrins, this new netrin is more related to the laminin ß chains, thus, its name ß-netrin. An initial analysis of the tissue distribution revealed that kidney, heart, ovary, retina, and the olfactory bulb were tissues of high expression. We have expressed the molecule in a eukaryotic cell expression system and made antibodies to the expressed product. Both in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were used to describe the cellular source of ß-netrin and where ß-netrin is deposited. ß-Netrin is a basement membrane component; it is present in the basement membranes of the vasculature, kidney, and ovaries. In addition, ß-netrin is expressed in a limited set of fiber tracts within the brain, including the lateral olfactory tract and the vomeronasal nerve. Functional studies were performed and show that ß-netrin promotes neurite elongation from olfactory bulb explants. Together, these data suggest that ß-netrin is important in neural, kidney, and vascular development.
Key Words: axon guidance, kidney, olfactory bulb, vasculature, brain
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|