Wallerian degeneration in rabbit tibial nerve: changes in amounts of the S-100 protein.

Abstract

Abstract— —A soluble protein (S‐100) which is unique to the nervous system was measured in rabbit tibial nerve at 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days of degeneration. Amounts of S‐100 in the degenerated peripheral segment of the transected nerve fell progressively during degeneration to 2 per cent of that measured in the corresponding portion of nerve taken from control rabbits 28 days postoperatively. Total soluble proteins increased 42 per cent during this time. Levels of S‐100 and total soluble proteins remained unchanged in non‐degenerated nerve segments from experimental and control rabbits. Correlations of amounts of S‐100 measured in the study reported here with cellular changes demonstrated by other investigators to characterize Wallerian degeneration in peripheral nerve suggest that the S‐100 protein is localized primarily in axons rather than in Schwann cells or myelin.