Chapter 3 - CD36, CD44, and CD83 Expression and Putative Functions in Neural Tissues

Abstract

The relevance of surface molecules in the brain is substantial because neurons can harbor many sophisticated contacts with other cells. Surface antigens, such as cluster of differentiation (CD) molecules, deliver cellular clues coupled to glial/neuronal identity and function. Whereas CD36 and CD83 have been mainly associated with subtypes of myeloid-derived cells in the brain, CD44 was also characterized in astrocytes and neural progenitors. Cd36, Cd44, and Cd83 transcripts associate distinctly with defined murine brain circuitry, displaying varied expression levels. The known structural and functional dissimilarities between the encoded glycoproteins parallel their different patterns of expression throughout the brain, suggesting that CD molecules could play roles in specific neuronal cells other than those characterized in leukocytes. Emerging data are helping to reveal these functions, and these antigens combined with others are potential tools to sort glial or neuronal cells for performing cellular or large-scale profiling assays.