Differential expression of Hox 3.1 protein in subregions of the embryonic and adult spinal cord.

Synthetic oligopeptides derived from the predicted Hox 3.1 protein coding sequence were used for the production of antibodies (anti-aa2) that specifically recognize Hox 3.1 protein in tissue sections. These antibodies were applied in immunohistochemical studies to monitor the expression of Hox 3.1 protein within the central nervous system (CNS) of embryonic and adult mice. We demonstrate congruency between the distinct Hox 3.1 RNA and protein expression patterns in the developing spinal cord by direct comparison of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining in frozen sagittal sections from embryos of 12.5 days of gestation. A distinct pattern of spatially restricted expression of Hox 3.1 protein within the spinal cord was first detected at around 10.5 days of embryonic development. Within certain anteroposterior limits the geometries of this expression pattern change drastically during subsequent embryonic stages, concomitant with important cytoarchitectural changes in the developing spinal cord. Analyses on subcellular levels indicate predominant accumulation of Hox 3.1 protein within nuclei of neuronal cells. In addition to the nuclear localization in subsets of embryonic cells, persistent accumulation of Hox 3.1 protein was shown in nuclei of fully differentiated and mature neuronal cells of the adult CNS.