Abstract
N-Cadherin is a major cell adhesion molecule that is expressed in the developing nervous system where it has been implicated in neural migration and axon growth. Recently, a role for
N-cadherin in oligodendrocyte differentiation has been identified [23]. Oligodendrocyte precursors adhere to
N-cadherin and mature rapidly to produce myelin sheets. Since this implies that oligodendrocytes express
N-caderin, we examined the expression of
N-cadherin by oligodendrocytes in culture.
N-Cadherin was expressed by O-2A progenitors, immature oligodendrocytes and mature oligodendrocytes, but at a lower level than in type 1 astrocytes in the same cultures. On mature oligodendrocytes, the
N-cadherin was concentrated on the major processes emerging from the soma. The ability of
N-cadherin and merosin to promote oligodendrocyte precursor migration was also studied. Average migration rates were significantly higher on merosin (11.2 μm/h) than on
N-cadherin (5.6 μm/h). These results suggest that
N-cadherin is not likely to function predominantly as a substrate that stimulates migration of O-2A progenitors, but may be more important in initiating early oligodendrocyte-axon interactions that promote the process of myelination.
