Figure 1. Generation and identification of CD146^ns-ko mice.

(A) Schematic strategy for constructing CD146^{floxed/floxed} mice. Two loxP sites were inserted into the promoter and 1^st intron of the CD146 gene by targeting vector. (B–E) Sections of brains and spinal cords of WT and CD146^ns-ko mice were immunostained with anti-CD146 mAb AA4. Expression of CD146 was observed on cortical neurons (B), cerebellar Purkinje cells (C), hippocampal neurons (D) in brain and neurons in spinal cord (E). Scale bar represents 200 µm. (F) Expression of CD146 in whole brain, cerebral cortex alone and spinal cord of WT and CD146^ns-ko mice was analyzed in cDNA RT-PCR assay. Data is presented as ratio of CD146 expression level normalized with WT group (means ± SEM).