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© The Rockefeller University Press, 0021-9525/2000//221 $5.00
The Journal of Cell Biology, Volume 151, Number 2, , 2000 221-234

A Novel Member of the Netrin Family, β-Netrin, Shares Homology with the β Chain of Laminin

Manuel Koch^a, Julie R. Murrell^b, Dale D. Hunter^b,c,d, Pamela F. Olson^a,d, William Jin^a, Douglas R. Keene^f, William J. Brunken^a,e, and Robert E. Burgeson^a

^a Cutaneous Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129
^b Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111
^c Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111
^d Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111
^e Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467
^f Shriners Hospital for Children, Portland, Oregon 97201
CBRC MGH-East Building 149, Charlestown, MA 02129.(617) 726-4453(617) 726-4186

The netrins are a family of laminin-related molecules. Here, we characterize a new member of the family, β-netrin. β-Netrin is homologous to the NH₂ terminus of laminin chain short arms; it contains a laminin-like domain VI and 3.5 laminin EGF repeats and a netrin C domain. Unlike other netrins, this new netrin is more related to the laminin β chains, thus, its name β-netrin. An initial analysis of the tissue distribution revealed that kidney, heart, ovary, retina, and the olfactory bulb were tissues of high expression. We have expressed the molecule in a eukaryotic cell expression system and made antibodies to the expressed product. Both in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were used to describe the cellular source of β-netrin and where β-netrin is deposited. β-Netrin is a basement membrane component; it is present in the basement membranes of the vasculature, kidney, and ovaries. In addition, β-netrin is expressed in a limited set of fiber tracts within the brain, including the lateral olfactory tract and the vomeronasal nerve. Functional studies were performed and show that β-netrin promotes neurite elongation from olfactory bulb explants. Together, these data suggest that β-netrin is important in neural, kidney, and vascular development.

Key Words: axon guidance • kidney • olfactory bulb • vasculature • brain

© 2000 The Rockefeller University Press

Abbreviations used in this paper: CNS, central nervous system; rβ-N, recombinant mouse β-netrin; RT-PCR, reverse transcriptase–PCR.

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