Open AccessPolysialic acid units are spatially and temporally expressed in developing postnatal rat kidney.
Author(s) -
Jürgen Roth,
Douglas J. Taatjes,
D. BitterSuermann,
Jukka Finne
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.84.7.1969
Subject(s) - polysialic acid , mesenchyme , kidney , biology , sialic acid , immunohistochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , monoclonal antibody , cell , biochemistry , neural cell adhesion molecule , endocrinology , immunology , antibody , mesenchymal stem cell , cell adhesion
We report the presence of alpha(2----8)-linked polysialic acid as detected with a monoclonal antibody outside the nervous tissue in the postnatal developing rat kidney. By immunoblot analysis, the reactivity was confined to a broad band of apparent molecular mass 200-250 kDa. By immunohistochemistry, the polysialic acid units were found throughout the ureteric bud-derived collecting duct system. In developing nephrons derived from the metanephrogenic mesenchyme, polysialic acid units were only regionally and transiently expressed. Furthermore, the expression of polysialic acid units was developmentally regulated, as evidenced by their gradual disappearance concomitant with postnatal kidney maturation. These findings suggest a possible role for polysialic acid units in cell-cell contact-mediated renal differentiation processes.