Age-related changes in expression of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) in heart: a comparative study of newborn, adult and aged rats.

The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) has been implicated in cellular interactions involved in cardiac morphogenesis and innervation. In this study, expression of NCAM mRNA and protein was characterized in rat heart during postnatal development and aging (postnatal days 1, 10, 40, 270, and 730). Alternative splicing of NCAM mRNA was analyzed by Northern blotting using DNA oligonucleotide probes designed for demonstration of certain exons or exon combinations. Total NCAM mRNA was downregulated during postnatal development followed by upregulation in the aging heart. Three major NCAM mRNA classes of 6.7, 5.2 and 2.9 kb were expressed in newborn heart in approximately equal proportions. At all other ages, the mRNAs of 5.2 and 2.9 kb were more predominant than the 6.7 kb mRNA. During postnatal development and aging, expression of exon VASE was selectively downregulated in the 6.7 kb NCAM mRNA class, whereas it was clearly detectable in NCAM mRNA classes of 5.2 and 2.9 kb. Insertion of exons a and AAG between exons 12 and 13 was more pronounced in the 5.2 and 2.9 kb NCAM mRNAs than in the 6.7 kb mRNA at all ages. Insertions at the 12/13 junctions decreased in the 6.7 kb mRNA as compared to the 5.2 and 2.9 kb mRNAs during postnatal development. Quantification of NCAM protein by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that NCAM protein amount decreased from a level of 0.93 microgram NCAM/mg total protein at birth to postnatal day 40 where a level of 0.21 microgram NCAM/mg total protein was found. During aging, NCAM increased again to 0.34 micrograms NCAM/mg total protein at postnatal day 730. NCAM isoforms were studied by immunoblotting analysis. At all ages, the major NCAM isoforms of 190, 145 and 120 kDa were observed in heart, the 145 kDa isoform being predominant.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)