Distribution of P₂ Antigen in Neural and Non-Neural Bovine Tissues

Abstract

Rabbit antisera to bovine nerve preparations were used to study the tissue distribution in the ox of P₂, an antigen specific for the peripheral nervous system. Double diffubion gel precipitation tests were able to demonstrate P₂ in spinal nerves, trigeminal nerve, spinal cord, medulla oblongata. and pons, but not in higher centers of the CNS, optic nerve, or non-neural tissues. A highly sensitive inhibition of enzyme immunoassay was developed to detect and quantities low levels of P₂ By this assay, P₂ was found to be most concentrated in peripherai nerves. with decreasing amounts found in the spinal cord, medulla oblongata, pons, cerebellum, and cerebral peduncle. No P₂ was found in the thalamus, cerebrum, or optic nerve; however, low levels of P₂ were detected in the adrenal meaulla, a non-neural tissue composed largely of cells derived from the embryonic neural crest region.