Re‐evaluation of nestin as a marker of oligodendrocyte lineage cells

Abstract

Maturation of oligodendrocyte progenitors (O2A) is characterized by morphological changes and the sequential expression of specific antigens leading to the formation of myelin membrane. Monoclonal antibodies A2B5, A007, anti‐vimentin, and anti‐galactocerebroside, recognize oligodendroglia at different stages of development. The neuroepithelial precursor marker nestin is also expressed by the oligodendroglial lineage; we have used enriched populations of progenitors isolated from neonatal rat brain cultures to further examine the cellular distribution of this intermediate filament protein. The phenotypic distribution of nestin positive cells among the oligodendrocyte lineage showed that 65% reacted with A2B5, whereas only 5% were A007⁺, and 4% galactocerebroside⁺. The remaining 25% of the cells were not labeled and had small cellular bodies devoid of processes, characteristic of the pre‐O2A progenitor. Further analysis of the nestin⁺ population showed that the majority of the cells were also vimentin⁺. Antibody‐dependent complement mediated cytolysis of A2B5⁺ (O2A cells) and galactocerebroside⁺ (mature oligodendrocytes) cells left a population of nestin⁺ cells that were induced to proliferate in the presence of growth factors and to differentiate into A2B5⁺ and galactocerebroside⁺ cells. Proliferating cells maintained in the presence of platelet‐derived growth factor or basic fibroblast growth factor retained nestin expression along with A2B5. By contrast, in serum‐free medium nestin expression decreased while postmitotic cells acquired A007 and galactocerebroside. Our results suggest that nestin expression is a marker of pre‐O2A cells that is maintained in proliferating glial progenitors, but is quickly down‐regulated in postmitotic oligodendrocytes (A007⁺/galacto‐cerebroside⁺) along with A2B5 and vimentin. However, other glial cells including type 2 astrocytes and some amoeboid microglia also share nestin expression. Microsc. Res. Tech. 52:753–765, 2001.