Developmental changes in integrin beta-subunits in rat cerebral cortex
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Updated: Oct 21, 2026

Ex utero Electroporation and Whole Hemisphere Explants: A Simple Experimental Method for Studies of Early Cortical Development
Published on: April 3, 2013
B Cousin1, C Leloup, L Pénicaud
1SmithKline Beecham, Harlow, Essex, UK.
Abstract:
The present study was carried out to characterize the developmental expression of beta 1-, beta 5- and beta 6-integrin subunits in rat cerebral cortex. Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, mRNA of the three beta-subunits were shown to be present at all developmental stages. Based on immunoblots, beta 1-subunit expression was decreased during cortical development from embryonic stages to adults. beta 6-subunit expression appeared only in adult cortex. beta 5-subunit expression did not change during development. These beta-subunits were expressed in cortical embryonic cells as revealed by immunological studies in vitro. beta 5 and beta 6 were also present in neuronal cells and in oligodendrocytes in adult cortex. Altogether, these results demonstrate that rat cerebral cortex expresses distinct integrin beta-subunits with different developmental profiles. This switch of beta-subunits may be an important mechanism for the regulation of cell behaviour during development.
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