Abstract
Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) has been described as a family of membrane glycoproteins. However, soluble NCAM immunoreactivity has long been recognized. We here show that soluble NCAM is composed of two quantitatively major polypeptides of M r 180 000 and 115 000 and two minor components of M r 160 000 and 145 000. Soluble NCAM was immunochemically identical to membrane NCAM, was polysialylated and carried the HNK-1 epitope. It only constituted 0.8% of total NCAM in newborn rat brain. Soluble NCAM appeared in neuronal cell culture medium 15–30 min after the start of synthesis preceding accumulation of membrane-associated NCAM on the cell surface. This indicates that soluble NCAM contains a secreted component.
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