Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) have pleiotropic actions on many cell types. In the presence of these factors, oligodendroglia respond by enhanced survival when deprived of trophic factors or in the presence of the cytotoxic cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). To determine whether these two oligodendroglial survival factors converge in their signaling cascades, we examined their JAK/STAT pathways in enriched oligodendrocyte (OL) progenitors and in the progenitor OL cell line, central glia-4 (CG-4). Cytokine pathways such as JAK/STAT have been characterized extensively in hematopoietic cells; however, it is increasingly evident that the same cytokines that play a role in hematopoiesis also play a role during development and injury of the central nervous system. This is the first study that clearly defines the presence and activation of JAK/STAT proteins in OL progenitors and compares the signal transduction pathway of two well-known oligodendroglial survival factors. In this study, we report that PDGF- and CNTF-induced OL progenitors responded with a rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK1, JAK2, STAT1alpha/beta, and STAT3. We feel that these identified JAK/STAT signaling molecules play a large role in the cellular response to these factors. Because both PDGF and CNTF enhance OL progenitor survival, these JAK/STATs may play a role in regulating this important cellular process.