Int. J. Dev. Biol. 46: 263 - 266 (2002)

Vol 46, Issue 2

Melanoma Cell Adhesion Molecule (MCAM) expression in the myogenic lineage during early chick embryonic development

Published: 1 March 2002

Cristina Pujades, Borhane Guez-Guez and Dominique Dunon

CNRS UMR7622, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France. cpujades@snv.jussieu.fr

Abstract

We describe the expression pattern of cMCAM, a cell adhesion molecule of the immunoglobulin superfamily, in early chick embryonic development by in situ hybridisation. An initial ectodermal domain of expression is subsequently expanded, and cMCAM is expressed in the neural crest cells, otic vesicle, heart primordium, notochord and endoderm. In addition, cMCAM expression localises in the myotome once the somite cells have been specified. An in vitro murine cellular system allowed us to confirm that MCAM expression coincides with the onset of myogenic cell determination.