Regulation of neural functions via polySia and FGF2 interaction

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Polysialic acid (polySia) is a homopolymer of sialic acid with the degree of polymerization 8-400 Sia residues. PolySia is highly expressed on the neural cell adhesion molecule (NACM) in embryonic brains. In adult, polySia mostly disappeared; however, it persists in distinct regions such as hippocampus, subventricular zone, thalamus, prefrontal cortex and amygdala, where neural plasticity, remodeling of neural connections or neural generation are ongoing. PolySia on NCAM is known to have anti-adhesive effects on cell-cell interactions due to its bulky polyanionic nature and is involved in regulation of neurogenesis and neuronal functions. In this study, we demonstrate that polySia functions as a reservoir scaffold for various molecules of neurological active molecules, such as fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2).