A Monoclonal Antibody Disrupting Calcium-Dependent Cell--Cell Adhesion of Brain Tissues: Possible Role of Its Target Antigen in Animal Pattern Formation
Abstract
The Ca2+-dependent cell-cell adhesion system (CDS) is thought to be essential for the formation and maintenance of cell adhesion in a wide variety of tissues. Previous studies suggested that CDS has some cell-type specificity; for example, the monoclonal antibody ECCD-1 selectively recognizes CDS of certain epithelial tissues in mouse embryos but not nervous tissues. In the present study, we have obtained a monoclonal antibody, designated NCD-1, that disrupts connections between brain cells of mouse embryos. A series of experiments suggested that NCD-1 specifically recognizes CDS. We then determined the distribution of the NCD-1 antigen in various mouse tissues. NCD-1 reacted with cells of the following tissues and cell lines: nervous tissues from various sources, lens, striated muscle, cardiac muscle, glioma G26-20, adrenocortical tumor Y1, and melanoma B16. None of these cells reacted with ECCD-1, and the cells reactive with ECCD-1 did not react with NCD-1. There was also a class of cells that did not react with either ECCD-1 or NCD-1. These results suggest that cells in the body can be classified into at least three groups containing CDS of differing specificities. A map of the tissue localization of these different classes of CDS also suggests that the expression of cell-type-specific cell adhesion molecules in each tissue plays a crucial role in adhesion between the same cell types and segregation of different cell types in processes essential for animal morphogenesis.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- May 1985
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.82.9.2789
- Bibcode:
- 1985PNAS...82.2789H