The 4C5 antigen is associated with Schwann cell migration during development and regeneration of the rat peripheral nervous system

Abstract The monoclonal antibody 4C5 recognizes a cell surface antigen of the developing central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). In vitro antibody perturbation experiments have shown that the 4C5 antigen is involved in horizontal and vertical migration processes of granule cells during development of the rodent cerebellum. Moreover, results concerning the cellular localization and temporal expression of the 4C5 antigen during development and after injury of the rat sciatic nerve suggested that it may participate in Schwann cell migrations that occur during the above processes. To test this possibility, we examined the effects of our function‐blocking antibody on Schwann cell migration in three in vitro bioassays: in tissue cultures from developing sciatic nerve, in dorsal root ganglion cultures on cryostat sections of normal or denervated adult sciatic nerve, and in pure Schwann cell cultures. The results showed that the presence of monoclonal antibody 4C5 in all the above culture systems strongly inhibited Schwann cell migration, indicating that the 4C5 antigen participates in migration processes that take place during development and regeneration of the peripheral nervous system. Moreover, staining of migrating Schwann cells in the presence of monoclonal antibody 4C5 with rhodamine‐phalloidin showed that 4C5 antigen activity is associated with actin cytoskeletal organization of these cells, and more specifically with lamellipodia formation. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.