BackgroundInformation | NeuNantibody(NEUronalNuclei;cloneA60)specificallyrecognizestheDNA-binding,neuron-specificproteinNeuN,whichispresentinmostCNSandPNSneuronalcelltypesofallvertebratestested.NeuNproteindistributionsareapparentlyrestrictedtoneuronalnuclei,perikaryaandsomeproximalneuronalprocessesinbothfetalandadultbrainalthough,someneuronsfailtoberecognizedbyNeuNatallages:INLretinalcells,Cajal-Retziuscells,Purkinjecells,inferiorolivaryanddentatenucleusneurons,andsympatheticganglioncellsareexamples(Mullenetal.,1992;Wolfetal.,1996).ImmunohistochemicallydetectableNeuNproteinfirstappearsatdevelopmentaltimepointsthatcorrespondwiththewithdrawaloftheneuronfromthecellcycleand/orwiththeinitiationofterminaldifferentiationoftheneuron(Mullenetal.,1992).ImmunoreactivityappearsaroundE9.5inthemouseneuraltubeandisextensivethroughoutthedevelopingnervoussystembyE12.5.Strongnuclearstainingsuggestsanuclearregulatoryproteinfunction;however,noevidencecurrentlyexistsastowhethertheNeuNproteinantigenhasafunctioninthedistalcytoplasmorwhetheritismerelysynthesizedtherebeforebeingtransportedbackintothenucleus.Nodifferencebetweenproteinisolatedfrompurifiednucleiandwholebrainextractonimmunoblotshasbeenfound(Mullenetal.,1992). |