Click here to close
Hello! We notice that you are using Internet Explorer, which is not supported by Xenbase and may cause the site to display incorrectly.
We suggest using a current version of Chrome,
FireFox, or Safari.
???displayArticle.abstract???
Pan-cadherin antibodies recognize the conserved C-terminal region of the family of cell-cell adhesion molecules, cadherins, and have a broad spectrum of reactivity to the molecules. In the present study, by immunohistochemistry using an anti-pan cadherin monoclonal antibody (mAb), expression dynamics of cadherins in epidermal tissues were analyzed during metamorphosis of Xenopus laevis. At early stages of development, the anti-pan cadherin mAb detected signals at cell-cell boundaries and in the cytoplasm of both trunk and tail epidermal cells. During metamorphosis, the immunoreactivity decreased in the trunkskintissue but remained in the tail. At the climax stage, immunoreactivity was observed only in the regressing tailepidermis. The signals disappeared completely from the trunkepidermis, which had already transformed into adult-type tissue. This observation was confirmed by western blot analysis. A specific band was detected in the larval skin, but not in the adult lysate, at approximately 135 kDa in molecular size, corresponding to the molecular mass of cadherins. This different immunoreactivity in larvae and adults was observed in the epidermis of the skin, but not in any other tissues examined, that is, brain, kidney and liver. The immunoreactivity seen in larval epidermal cells was drastically downregulated by thyroid hormone treatment in vitro. These changes of immunoreactivity were specific for the C-terminal region of cadherins, suggesting intracellular alteration of the molecules during metamorphosis, and the anti-pan cadherin mAb can be a marker for larval-type epidermal cells that is applicable to analysis of Xenopus metamorphosis.
Fig. 1. Developmental changes
in the expression of the antigen
molecules detected by anti-pan
cadherin mAb in the epidermis
during metamorphosis. Unfixed
frozen sections were subjected to
immunohistochemical staining
using anti-pan cadherin mAb (red
signals) and were counterstained
with quinacrine dihydrochloride
(green). The thickness of the
epidermis is shown by the white
line on the right side of each
panel. Left panels show the back
epidermis of a stage 57tadpole
(A), a stage 59tadpole (C) and a
2–3-month-old froglet (E). Right
panels show the tailepidermis
of stage 57 (B) and stage 59
(D). Letter G in panels C and E
indicates the developing gland.
Bar, 100 μm.
Fig. 2. Immunohistochemistry of the border area between the trunk and tailepidermis at the metamorphic climax stage using the
anti-pan cadherin mAb. Unfixed frozen sections obtained from a stage 64tadpole were stained with the anti-pan cadherin mAb and
counterstained with quinacrine dihydrochloride. The dotted line shows the locations of the basement membrane and the trunk and
tail areas of the epidermis are also indicated in the figure. Letter G marks the developing gland, which is a characteristic feature of
the adult-type skin. Bar, 100 μm.
Fig. 3. Western blot analysis of larval and adult skin lysates
detected with anti-pan cadherin mAb. Skin lysates were obtained
from the whole skin of tadpoles at stage 55/56 (larva) and from
the whole adult skin of 2â3-month-old froglets (adult). The lysates
were subjected to 10% sodium dodecylsulfateâpolyacrylamide
gel electrophoresis at a concentration of 50 μg/lane. Note that a
strong band of approximately 135 kDa indicated by an arrow
(a) is seen in the larval lane but only faintly in the adult. Larval
specific bands at 53 and 59 kDa, and an adult specific band at
40 kDa are indicated by arrows (b), (c) and (d), respectively.
Fig. 4. Disappearance of the molecules detected by anti-pan
cadherin mAb in larval epidermal cells after in vitro culture in the
presence of thyroid hormone (T3). Epidermal cells were obtained
from the trunk skin of tadpoles at stage 55/56 and cultured in
96-well dishes (1.23105/well) at 28°C for 3 days in the absence
(A) or presence (B) of 100 nM T3. The cells are stained with the
antipan-cadherin mAb (red signals). Bar, 50 μm.
