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G D3 + cells in the adult rat optic nerve are ramified microglia rather than 0–2A adult progenitor cells
Author(s) -
Wolswijk Guus
Publication year - 1994
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.440100403
Subject(s) - biology , microglia , progenitor cell , neuroglia , optic nerve , neuroscience , anatomy , microbiology and biotechnology , central nervous system , stem cell , immunology , inflammation
The adult central nervous system (CNS) contains a population of adult oligodendrocyte‐type‐2 astrocyte (O‐2A) progenitor cells (O‐2A adult progenitor cells). These cells may provide a source of the new oligodendrocytes that are needed to repair demyelinated lesions. In order to examine the role of O‐2A adult progenitor cells in the regeneration of the oligodendrocyte population following demyelinating damage, it is essential to be able to identify such cells unambiguously in sections of adult CNS tissue. The present study examined whether antibodies to the ganglioside G D3 specifically label O‐2A adult progenitor cells in cultures and sections of adult optic nerve, since previous studies on the developing CNS had suggested that O‐2A perinatal progenitor cells were G D3 + in vitro and in vivo. Evidence is presented indicating that, although O‐2A adult progenitor cells in vitro were labelled with the R24 mAb (an anti‐G D3 mAb), all G D3 + cells in sections of adult optic nerve bound the OX‐42 mAb and the B 4 isolectin derived from Griffonia Simplicifolia , and thus were not O‐2A adult progenitor cells, but ramified microglia. The data suggest that O‐2A adult progenitor cells become G D3 + when placed in culture and that ramified microglia lose G D3 ‐expression in vitro. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.