J Vet Sci.  2000 Dec;1(2):67-71.

A study on the immunocytochemical localization of neurofascin in rat sciatic nerve

• Chang BJ
• Cho IH
• Brophy PJ

Abstract

We examined the localization of neurofascin (NF) in the sciatic nerve of rat. In the myelinated fibers, neurofascin localizes strongly in the nodal axolemma except the small central cleft and also expresses in the paranodes, and weakly in the Schmidt-Lanterman incisures. In the paranodes, NF localizes around the axolemma and it expresses in the apposing membrane of paranodal loops. Axoplasm, compact myelin and cytoplasm of Schwann cell do not express NF at all. In the Schmidt-Lanterman incisures, NF is expressed weakly along the Schwann cell membrane. We propose that neurofascin may be a plasmalemmal integral protein of Schwann cell in the paranode and plays some important roles for the maintenance of axo-glial junctions at the paranode. It may also have some roles for maintaining the structure of Schmidt-Lanterman incisure and have some relations with proteins localizing in the node.

Keyword

neurofascin; axo-glial junction; Schmidt-Lanter-man incisure; immunocytochemistry

MeSH Terms

Animals
Cell Adhesion Molecules/*analysis/physiology
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Microscopy, Immunoelectron
Nerve Growth Factors/*analysis/physiology
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Sciatic Nerve/*chemistry/ultrastructure