Brain Cell Surface Glycoproteins Identified by Monoclonal Antibodies

Abstract

Publisher Summary In the developing brain, processes such as the migration of neuroblasts, the growth of axons or the generation of synaptic connections seem to involve interaction between cell surfaces. Very little is known about the underlying molecular mechanisms, but most hypotheses imply the existence of molecules, differing in kind or quantity from cell to cell, which mediate the necessary recognition events. Antibodies directed against neural cell surface components have been widely used in the search for molecules characteristic of certain cells or developmental stages. Many of the limitations inherent to the immunological approach have been removed by the introduction of somatic hybridization techniques (Kohler and Milstein, 1975), which allow the isolation of lymphocyte clones secreting antibodies specific for individual molecules even though a complex mixture of antigens was used for immunization. Most authors using the hybridoma technique for generating antibodies to brain cell membranes concentrated on obtaining antibodies specific for a given cell type, and striking examples for the feasibility of this approach have been reported. This chapter describes observations on two monoclonal antibodies that recognize cell-surface glycoproteins o n immature and adult mouse brain cells.