Ontogeny and the possible function of a novel epidermal growth factor‐like repeat domain‐containing protein, NELL2, in the rat brain

• Published in: Journal of neurochemistry Vol. 83; no. 6; pp. 1389 - 1400
• Main Authors: Kim, Hyun, Ha, Chang Man, Choi, Jungil, Choi, Eun Jung, Jeon, Jongrye, Kim, Changmee, Park, Sang Kyu, Kang, Sang Soo, Kim, Kyungjin, Lee, Byung Ju
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.12.2002; Blackwell
• Subjects: Animals; Biochemistry and metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Blotting, Northern; Brain - cytology; Brain - drug effects; Brain - embryology; Brain - metabolism; Ca2+‐binding protein; cDNA array; Central nervous system; Epidermal Growth Factor - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hypothalamus - drug effects; Hypothalamus - embryology; Hypothalamus - metabolism; Immunohistochemistry; In Situ Hybridization; Injections, Intraventricular; NELL2; Nerve Tissue Proteins - antagonists & inhibitors; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins - metabolism; neurogenesis; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - metabolism; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Oligonucleotides, Antisense - pharmacology; Organ Specificity; Protein Structure, Tertiary - physiology; rat embryo; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Repetitive Sequences, Amino Acid - physiology; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Spinal Cord - cytology; Spinal Cord - embryology; Spinal Cord - metabolism; Synaptic Vesicles - metabolism; Synaptophysin - metabolism; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Embryonic development; cDNA array; Spinal cord; Calcium; Rat; NELL2 protein; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Ca2+-binding protein; Gene expression; Postnatal development; In vitro; Neurogenesis; NELL2; rat embryo; Binding protein; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Epidermal growth factor; Brain (vertebrata); in situ hybridization
• ISSN: 0022-3042; 1471-4159
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2002.01245.x

In this study we investigated the mRNA expression of NELL2, a neural tissue‐specific epidermal growth factor (EGF)‐like repeat domain‐containing protein, in the developing and adult rat CNS using in situ hybridization histochemistry and northern blot analysis. The possible candidates that interact with or be regulated by NELL2 were screened with a cDNA expression array in antisense (AS) NELL2 oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN)‐injected rat hypothalami. NELL2 mRNA was detected as early as embryonic day 10, and was predominant in the CNS throughout the pre‐natal stages. Its expression gradually increased during embryonic development and its strong expression was observed throughout the CNS until embryonic day 20. It was detected in the ventricular zone of the spinal cord, medulla and pons in 12‐day‐old‐embryos, suggesting that NELL2 plays a role in the neurogenesis of these areas. After birth its expression gradually decreased, but high levels of expression could be observed in the tenia tecta, piriform cortex, hippocampus, dentate gyrus, cerebellar cortex, ambiguus nucleus, and inferior olivary nucleus of adult rat brains. The analysis of cDNA expression arrays revealed that the administration of AS NELL2 ODN markedly decreased the expression of several Ca2+‐binding proteins and those involved in the transport and release of vesicles such as EF‐hand Ca2+‐binding protein p22 and rab7. This finding was confirmed by relative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. The effect of NELL2 on synaptic vesicle content in median eminence (ME) nerve terminals was determined with synaptophysin levels as a marker protein in the AS NELL2 ODN‐injected rat. It was significantly decreased by the AS ODN. These data suggest that NELL2 may play an important role in the development of the CNS as well as maintenance of neural functions, by regulating the intracellular machinery involving Ca2+ signaling, synaptic transport and/or release of vesicles.