Although previous studies suggest that P0 is expressed only in myelinating Schwann cells, monoclonal antibody 1E8 reacts with P0, yet also stains early Schwann cell precursors and non-myelinating Schwann cells (Bhattacharyya et al.: Neuron 7:831-844, 1991). We therefore characterized the 1E8 epitope and analyzed P0 mRNA expression during development. Immunoblot analyses of P0 fusion proteins and of deglycosylated P0 indicated that the 1E8 epitope is polypeptide. Northern blot and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses revealed that P0 is encoded by a single mRNA that is expressed in chicken embryos as early as E4 and in rat embryos as early as E14. These data indicate that the antigen recognized by 1E8 in early chicken embryos is P0 and that, during development of both chickens and rats, P0 mRNA is expressed long before myelination.