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Identification of oligodendrocytes in experimental disease models
Author(s) -
Ness Jennifer K.,
Valentino Mario,
McIver Sally R.,
Goldberg Mark P.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
glia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.954
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1098-1136
pISSN - 0894-1491
DOI - 10.1002/glia.20206
Subject(s) - biology , oligodendrocyte , cell type , neuroscience , identification (biology) , transgene , disease , white matter , pathology , cell , myelin , gene , central nervous system , genetics , medicine , botany , radiology , magnetic resonance imaging
The ability to identify oligodendrocytes in culture, in fixed tissue, and in vivo using unique markers is a requisite step to understanding their responses in any damage, recovery, or developmental process. Their nuclei are readily seen in histological preparations of healthy white and gray matter, and their cell bodies can be reliably identified with a variety of immunocytochemical markers. However, there is little consensus regarding optimal methods to assess oligodendrocyte survival or morphology under experimental injury conditions. We review common approaches for histological and immunocytochemical identification of these cells. Transgenic and viral methods for cell type‐selective transfer of genes encoding fluorescent proteins offer promising new approaches for manipulating and visualizing oligodendrocytes in models of health and disease. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.