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Strongly G D3 + cells in the developing and adult rat cerebellum belong to the microglial lineage rather than to the oligodendrocyte lineage
Author(s) -
Wolswijk Guus
Publication year - 1995
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.440130103
Subject(s) - microglia , biology , oligodendrocyte , cerebellum , griffonia simplicifolia , astrocyte , neuroglia , progenitor cell , central nervous system , neuroscience , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , stem cell , lectin , myelin , inflammation
A recent study has shown that ramified microglia in the adult rat optic nerve express the ganglioside G D3 [Wolswijk Glia 10:244–249, 1994], thereby raising the possibility that some G D3 + in the developing rat central nervous system (CNS) belong to the microglial lineage rather than to the oligodendrocyte lineage, as previously thought. To examine this possibility, sections of postnatal and adult cerebellum were doublelabelled with markers for rat microglia [the B 4 isolectin derived from Griffonia simplicifolia (GSI‐B 4 ), the ED1 monoclonal antibody (mAb), and the OX‐42 mAb] and anti‐G D3 mAbs (the mAbs R24 and LB 1 ). These immunolabellings showed that ramified microglia as well as amoeboid microglia are strongly G D3 + in vivo. Moreover, most, if not all, cells that express high levels of G D3 in sections of developing cerebellum appear to belong to the microglial lineage. These observations contradict previous suggestions that the strongly G D3 + cells in the putative white matter regions of the developing brain are oligodendrocyte‐type‐2 astrocyte (0–2A) progenitor cells; the cells that give rise to oligodendrocytes in the CNS. The present study did, however, confirm that some 0–2A progenitor cells in sections of postnatal cerebellum are weakly G D3 + in vivo. Amoeboid microglia are present in areas of the developing cerebellum where newly generated oligodendrocytes are found, suggesting that these cells play a role in the phagocytosis of the large numbers of oligodendrocytes that die as part of CNS development. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.