ABSTRACT
Tumor endothelial marker 7 (TEM7) is a putative transmembrane protein that is highly expressed in the tumor endothelium. In the present study, the expression profile of TEM7 in the rat forebrain was investigated using immunohistochemistry with a specific polyclonal antibody against the extracellular region of TEM7. The immunohistochemical research revealed that TEM7 expressions were localized to specific neuronal areas such as cerebral cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamic magnocellular nuclei. The TEM7 protein was mainly present in the dendrite and cell body of the projection neurons. However, glial cells, vascular endothelial cells and meningeal cells did not show the expression of TEM7, indicating the specific roles of TEM7 in the neuronal cells in the vertebrate nervous system.