Axon remyelination in the central nervous system requires oligodendrocytes that produce myelin. Failure of this repair process is characteristic of neurodegeneration in demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis, and it remains unclear how the lesion microenvironment contributes to decreased remyelination potential of oligodendrocytes. Here, we show that acidic extracellular pH, which is...

Sexual dimorphism of neurons and astrocytes has been demonstrated in different centers of the brain, but sexual dimorphism of oligodendrocytes and myelin has not been examined. We show, using immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization, that the density of oligodendrocytes in corpus callosum, fornix, and spinal cord is 20-40% greater in males compared with females. These differences are prese...

We demonstrate enhanced differentiation of oligodendrocytes during neurogenesis of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) using an extracellular matrix protein, vitronectin (VN). We show that VN is expressed in the ventral part of the developing human spinal cord. Combined treatment of retinoic acid, sonic hedgehog, and noggin in the presence of VN allows hESCs to differentiate into O4-positive oli...

In demyelinating disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), targets of injury are myelin and oligodendrocytes, leading to severe neurological dysfunction. Regenerative therapies aimed at promoting oligodendrocyte maturation and remyelination are promising strategies for treatment in demyelinating disorders. Endogenous precursor cells or exogenous transplanted cells are potential sources for rem...

Developing neural tissue undergoes a period of neurogenesis followed by a period of gliogenesis. The lineage relationships among glial cell types have not been defined for most areas of the nervous system. Here we use retroviruses to label clones of glial cells in the chick retina. We found that almost every clone had both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. In addition, we discovered a novel glia...

A monoclonal antibody-producing hybrid cell line was obtained by fusing mouse myeloma cells with spleen cells from a mouse immunized with C6 glioma cells. This antibody binds to a specific cell-surface antigen that is present on C6 rat glioma cells, transformed astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, and a human glioma cell line but is absent on a normal glial cell line, fibroblasts, and primary cultu...

The formation of the myelin sheath in the CNS is the endpoint of a defined developmental program along which oligodendrocytes progress. However, the molecular signals required for the initiation of myelination are largely unknown. Ishibashi et al. report in this issue of Neuron that ATP released by axons as a result of electrical stimulation serves as an important myelination signal. Surprising...

We investigated the fine structural details of the presence of apparently newly formed oligodendrocytes within reactive astrocytes in white matter lesions obtained by biopsy from seven cases (3 multiple sclerosis (MS); 3 progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML); 1 with nonspecific reactive changes next to a sarcoid granuloma). Intact oligodendrocytes were found within astrocytic cytopla...

The Na-K-2Cl cotransporter isoform1 (NKCC1) is present in many animal cells where it plays prominent roles in regulating cell volume and maintaining intracellular Cl(-) concentration ([Cl(-)]i) above electrochemical equilibrium. We show here that NKCC1 is present and active in cultured oligodendrocytes. Expression of NKCC1 in the rat spinal cord increased during development from postnatal day 6...