RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Trophic Role of Oligodendrocytes in the Basal Forebrain
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 5846
OP 5853
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.23-13-05846.2003
VO 23
IS 13
A1 Xudong Dai
A1 Lauren D. Lercher
A1 Patricia M. Clinton
A1 Yangzhou Du
A1 Denise L. Livingston
A1 Cristina Vieira
A1 Lu Yang
A1 Michael M. Shen
A1 Cheryl F. Dreyfus
YR 2003
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/23/13/5846.abstract
AB Traditionally, the primary function of oligodendrocytes (OLGs) in the CNS has been considered to be myelination. Here, we investigated whether OLGs may play a trophic role, particularly during development. Neurotrophin expression was assessed in postnatal day 7 basal forebrain (BF) OLGs, using in situ hybridization and detection of myelin basic protein. Nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) mRNAs were revealed in OLGs in vivo and in culture. To determine whether OLGs support nearby neurons, we examined the influence of OLGs on BF cholinergic neurons. Neuronal function was enhanced by cocultured OLGs and OLG conditioned medium. Moreover, trophic effects of OLG conditioned medium were partially blocked by K252a, a trk tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and by neutralizing anti-BDNF or anti-NT-3 antisera, indicating that neurotrophins may mediate these effects, perhaps in concert with other signals. Our studies support a novel role for OLGs in providing local trophic support for neurons in the CNS.