BackgroundInformation | MAP-2(microtubuleassociatedprotein-2)isonofseveralhighmolecularweightproteinsthatplayanimportantroleinbrainmicrotubuleassembly.Inadditiontoitsassociationwithmicrotubules,MAP-2associateswithneurofilamentsandactinfilamentssuggestingthatitmayguideinteractionamongmicrotubules,othercytoskeletalelements,andcytoplasmicorganelles(Binder,1984).
MAP-2isastringentMarkerforneurons.Inaddition,MAP-2displaysintracellularspecificity.Inthecentralnervoussystem,MAP-2isconfinedtoneuronalcellbodiesanddendrites.Thereareexceptions,however,wheresomeaxonsstainpositiveforsmallamountsofMAP-2(Caceres,1984;Binder,1986).MAP-2isuniformlydistributedthroughoutthecellwhenfirstexpressedinculturedneuronsbutbecomesselectivelylocalizedasdendriticdevelopmentproceeds(Caceres,1986;Dotti,1987). |