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Transferrin: An early marker of oligodendrocytes in culture
Author(s) -
Monteros Araceli Espinosa,
Chiapelli Francesco,
Fisher R. S.,
Vellis J.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/0736-5748(88)90042-1
Subject(s) - galactocerebroside , transferrin , oligodendrocyte , biology , myelin , myelin basic protein , glycoprotein , immunocytochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , central nervous system , neuroscience , endocrinology
In this study, the developmental pattern of transferrin expression, the iron transporting glycoprotein, was investigated morphologically and immunocytochemically in mixed glial cultures as well as pure cultures of mature oligodendrocytes, both derived from newborn rat brain. Double immunofluorescent labeling of pure oligodendrocyte cultures revealed that transferrin colocalizes with the oligodendroglial marker, myelin basic protein. During early development in mixed glial cultures, the presence of transferrin was detected at 3 days in vitro in small round process‐bearing cells lying on top of astrocytes. These cells were galactocerebroside negative. However, at 7 days these process‐bearing cells began to express galactocerebrosides and transferrin co‐localized with the oligodendroglial marker. Transferrin did not co‐localize with any neuronal or astroglial markers at any time. These results indicate that transferrin is an oligodendrocyte‐specific marker which is expressed earlier than galactocerebroside.