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Stem cell antigen 2 expression in adult and developing mice
1Department of Molecular Biology and Medicine, Ruder Bosković Institute, Zagreb, Croatia. Antica@olimp.irb.hr
Stem cell antigen 2 (Sca-2) expression can distinguish the most immature T-lymphocyte precursors in the thymus from the hemopoietic stem cells. Sequence analysis of the Sca-2 protein showed that Sca-2 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored molecule that shares some characteristics with the members of the Ly-6 multigene family, and that it is the same as the thymic shared antigen-1 (TSA-1). Here we extend these studies and critically reassess the expression of the Sca-2/TSA-1 antigen in hematopoietic tissues of adult and developing mice. With more sensitive methods we show that the distribution of Sca-2/TSA-1 differs from existing reports. We find especially high expression of Sca-2/TSA1 at day 14 of fetal development.
Stem cell antigen 2 (Sca-2) expression can distinguish the most immature T-lymphocyte precursors in the thymus from the hemopoietic stem cells. Sequence analysis of the Sca-2 protein showed that Sca-2 is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored molecule that shares some characteristics with the members of the Ly-6 multigene family, and that it is the same as the thymic shared antigen-1 (TSA-1). Here we extend these studies and critically reassess the expression of the Sca-2/TSA-1 antigen in hematopoietic tissues of adult and developing mice. With more sensitive methods we show that the distribution of Sca-2/TSA-1 differs from existing reports. We find especially high expression of Sca-2/TSA1 at day 14 of fetal development.

