Lim R ; Hicklin DJ ; Miller JF ; Williams TH ; Crabtree JB ;

Brain Res vol. 430 (1)   pp. 93-100, Mai 1987

Using the monoclonal antibody G2-09 raised against bovine glia maturation factor (GMF), we screened various rat organs and tissues for GMF-like immunoreactivity. In the adult animal, with the exception of the heart, GMF was found exclusively in the nervous system, with the cerebellum exhibiting higher specific activity than other brain regions. The nature of the immunoactivity in the heart is presently unclear. None of the body fluids collected from humans, including serum and cerebrospinal fluid, possessed detectable GMF immunoactivity. A phylogenetic comparison revealed the presence of GMF in the brain of al vertebrates studied, from fish to primates. GMF was absent from bacteria and yeast. An ontogenetic study on rats showed the highest GMF level in the fetal brain, with a gradual but steady decrease after birth. However, a substantial amount of GMF persisted even in older animals. GMF was localized in astrocytes and Bergmann glia in the rat brain, using immunostaining at the light microscopic level.

Age Factors ;  Animal ;  Antibodies,Monoclonal: diagnostic use ;  Central Nervous System: analysis ;  Comparative Study ;  Escherichia coli: analysis ;  Fetus ;  Glia Maturation Factor ;  Human ;  Nerve Tissue Proteins: analysis ;  Rats ;  Support,Non-U.S.Gov't ;  Support,U.S.Gov't,Non-P.H.S. ;  Support,U.S.Gov't,P.H.S. ;  Tissue Distribution ;  Tissue Extracts: analysis ;  Viscera: analysis ;  Yeasts: analysis ;  440 ;