• Purity

  >97%, by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions and visualized by silver stain

• Endotoxin Level

  <1.0 EU per 1 μg of the protein by the LAL method.  

• Activity

  Measured by its ability to enhance neurite outgrowth of E16-E18 rat embryonic cortical neurons. Optimal neurite outgrowth was observed when neurons were plated on 96-well culture plates that had been pre-coated with 50 µL/well of the rrNeurofascin solution at    
  10-15 µg/mL.

• Source

  Mouse myeloma cell line, NS0-derived Ile25-Ala1031, with a C-terminal 6-His tag

• Accession #

• N-terminal Sequence    
  Analysis

  Ile25

• Predicted Molecular Mass

  114.7 kDa

• SDS-PAGE

  135-140 kDa, reducing conditions

Background: Neurofascin

Neurofascin, a type I transmembrane glycoprotein, is a member of the L1 family of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) (1-4). L1CAM family members are composed of an extracellular domain (ECD) that contains six immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domains and multiple fibronectin type III repeats, followed by transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains (2, 4, 5). Multiple isoforms of Neurofascin, including NF155, NF166, NF180, and NF186, can be generated by alternative splicing that differ in the combination of fibronectin type III repeats, as well as in the presence of a proline-, alanine-, and threonine-rich segment (PAT domain) located just after the fourth fibronectin type III repeat (4). This recombinant rat Neurofascin protein corresponds to isoform NF155 and shares 98% amino acid sequence identity with comparable regions of human and mouse Neurofascin. In rats, NF155 is transiently expressed by oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells during axon myelination (6, 7). NF155 clusters in paranodal regions of oligodendroglia and binds to the Caspr-Contactin complex located on the adjacent axon to form and stabilize paranodal axoglial junctions (8-11). It has been suggested that the ECD of NF155 must be cleaved from oligodendroglia membranes to form and/or stabilize the paranodal structure (12). NF155 has also been shown to promote neuronal adhesion and neurite outgrowth in rats and chickens (12-14). Alterations in NF155 expression have been associated with multiple sclerosis (15).

• References:

1. Rathjen, F.G. et al. (1987) Cell 51:841.

2. Volkmer, H. et al. (1992) J. Cell Biol. 118:149.

3. Sherman, D.L. and P.J. Brophy (2005) Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 6:683.

4. Kriebel, M. et al. (2012) Int. J. Biochem. Cell Biol. 44:694.

5. Liu, H. et al. (2011) J. Biol. Chem. 286:797.

6. Collinson, J.M. et al. (1998) Glia 23:11.

7. Basak, S. et al. (2007) Dev. Biol. 311:408.

8. Charles, P. et al. (2002) Curr. Biol. 12:217.

9. Schafer, D.P. et al. (2004) J. Neurosci. 24:3176.

10. Maier, O. et al. (2005) Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 28:390.

11. Sherman, D.L. et al. (2005) Neuron 48:737.

12. Maier, O. et al. (2006) Exp. Cell Res. 312:500.

13. Volkmer, H. et al. (1996) J. Cell Biol. 135:1059.

14. Koticha, D. et al. (2005) Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 30:137.

15. Howell, O.W. et al. (2006) Brain 129:3173.

• Entrez Gene IDs:

  23114 (Human); 269116 (Mouse); 116690 (Rat)

• Alternate Names:

  DKFZp686P2250; KIAA0756FLJ46866; neurofascin homolog (chicken); neurofascin homolog; Neurofascin; NF; NFASC; NRCAML