The coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) is a single-pass transmembrane cell adhesion molecule (CAM). CAR is expressed in numerous mammalian tissues including the brain, heart, lung, and testes. In epithelial cells, CAR functions are typical of the quintessential roles of numerous CAMs. However, in the brain the multiple roles of CAR are poorly understood. To better understand the physiological role of CAR in the adult brain, characterizing its location is a primordial step to advance our knowledge of its functions. In addition, CAR is responsible for the attachment, internalization, and retrograde transport of canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2) vectors, which have found a niche in the mapping of neuronal circuits and gene transfer to treat and model neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we used immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence to document the global location of CAR in the healthy, young adult mouse brain. Globally, we found that CAR is expressed by maturing and mature neurons in the brain parenchyma and located on the soma and on projections. While CAR occasionally colocalizes with glial fibrillary acidic protein, this overlap was restricted to areas that are associated with adult neurogenesis.

柯萨奇病毒和腺病毒受体（CAR）是单程跨膜细胞粘附分子（CAM）。CAR在许多哺乳动物组织中表达，包括脑，心脏，肺和睾丸。在上皮细胞中，CAR功能是众多CAM的典型角色的典型特征。但是，在大脑中对CAR的多种作用知之甚少。为了更好地了解CAR在成人大脑中的生理作用，表征其位置是提高我们对其功能的认识的主要步骤。此外，CAR负责犬腺病毒2型（CAV-2）载体的附着，内化和逆行运输，这些载体在神经元回路的定位和基因转移以治疗和建模神经退行性疾病中找到了利基。在这个研究中，我们使用免疫组化和免疫荧光技术来记录CAR在健康的年轻成年小鼠大脑中的全球位置。在全球范围内，我们发现CAR是由脑实质中成熟和成熟的神经元表达的，并且位于躯体和投影上。尽管CAR有时与神经胶质纤维酸性蛋白共定位，但这种重叠仅限于与成人神经发生有关的区域。