Beneficial roles of melanoma cell adhesion molecule in spinal cord transection recovery in adult zebrafish

Melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) is a multifunctional protein involved in miscellaneous processes, including development and tumor angiogenesis. Here, spinal cord transection in adult zebrafish was used to investigate the effects of MCAM on spinal cord injury (SCI) and subsequent recovery. Expression of MCAM mRNA increased and co-localized with motoneurons in the spinal cord after SCI. With MCAM morpholino treatment, inhibition of MCAM retarded both axon regrowth and locomotor recovery in the spinal cord injured zebrafish. Furthermore, MCAM mRNA expression was also observed in fli1a:EGFP transgenic zebrafish, which specifically show labeled blood vessels. Inhibition of MCAM down-regulated the expression of angiogenesis-related factors, such as VEGFR-2, p-p38 and p-AKT, and the inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-8. Taken together, these data suggest that MCAM may have a beneficial role in the recovery from SCI, via the promotion of neurogenesis and angiogenesis. In the context of adult zebrafish spinal cord injury, we proved that Melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) is beneficial to the recovery, possibly via mechanisms of angiogenensis and inflammation. MCAM promotes angiogenesis by adjusting VEGFR-2, p-p38 and p-AKT. MCAM affects inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-8. Our results extend the beneficial role of MCAM in the regeneration of central nervous system.