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Low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein (LRP)‐2/megalin is transiently expressed in a subpopulation of neural progenitors in the embryonic mouse spinal cord
Author(s) -
Wicher Grzegorz,
Larsson Mårten,
Rask Lars,
Aldskogius Håkan
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.20673
Subject(s) - biology , neuroepithelial cell , forebrain , microbiology and biotechnology , spinal cord , embryonic stem cell , ependymal cell , progenitor cell , astrocyte , central nervous system , glial fibrillary acidic protein , receptor , neuroscience , neural stem cell , immunology , stem cell , immunohistochemistry , genetics , gene
The lipoprotein receptor LRP2/megalin is expressed by absorptive epithelia and involved in receptor‐mediated endocytosis of a wide range of ligands. Megalin is expressed in the neuroepithelium during central nervous system (CNS) development. Mice with homozygous deletions of the megalin gene show severe forebrain abnormalities. The possible role of megalin in the developing spinal cord, however, is unknown. Here we examined the spatial and temporal expression pattern of megalin in the embryonic mouse spinal cord using an antibody that specifically recognizes the cytoplasmic part of the megalin molecule. In line with published data, we show expression of megalin in ependymal cells of the central canal from embryonic day (E)11 until birth. In addition, from E11 until E15 a population of cells was found in the dorsal part of the developing spinal cord strongly immunoreactive against megalin. Double labeling showed that most of these cells express vimentin, a marker for immature astrocytes and radial glia, but not brain lipid binding protein (BLBP), a marker for radial glial cells, or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a marker for mature astrocytes. These findings indicate that the majority of the megalin‐positive cells are astroglial precursors. Megalin immunoreactivity was mainly localized in the nuclei of these cells, suggesting that the cytoplasmic part of the megalin molecule can be cleaved following ligand binding and translocated to the nucleus to act as a transcription factor or regulate other transcription factors. These findings suggest that megalin has a crucial role in the development of astrocytes of the spinal cord. J. Comp. Neurol. 492:123–131, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.