Expression of high-molecular-weight neurofilament protein and vimentin in human developing spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia
Lukás, Z.; Dráber, P.; Viklický, V.; Dráberová, E.; Dolezel, S.
Folia Biologica 37(3-4): 207-212
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0015-5500 PMID: 1822447 Document Number: 378679
Expression of intermediate filament proteins in developing human dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord was studied using double-label immunofluorescence on frozen sections with monoclonal antibodies to vimentin and high-molecular-weight neurofilament protein (NF-H). Both proteins were found in the nerve fibres inside the ganglia of 6- and 8-week embryos. In 9-14-week embryos the NF-H protein was found in the perikarya of ganglion cells. Vimentin was only sporadically present in these cells, but was accumulated in connective tissue cells. In the following development the NF-H protein expression was limited to the ganglion cells and processes, and vimentin was confined to the satellite cells and mesenchymal derivatives. In the spinal cord of the 6-week and 8-week human embryos NF-H protein was found in the longitudinal fibres of the marginal layer and in a loose network of nerve fibres in the mantle zone. Some of the nerve fibres were also vimentin positive. The coexpression of both proteins stopped during weeks 9-10. In 30-week foetuses vimentin was only found in glial cells and mesenchymal derivatives, while NF-H protein was in the axons of both white and grey matter but not in neuronal perikarya.