SPINAL-CORD DYSMYELINATION INDUCED IN-VIVO BY IGM ANTIBODIES TO 3 DIFFERENT MYELIN GLYCOLIPIDS

It was shown previously (Rosenbluth et al.: J. Neurosci. 16:2635-2641, 1996) that implantation of hybridoma cells that produce an IgM antiga lactocerebroside into the spinal cord of young rats results in the dev elopment of myelin sheaths with a repeat period similar to 2-3x normal , similar to the abnormal peripheral myelin sheaths seen in human IgM gammopathies. We now present evidence that this effect can be reproduc ed in the spinal cord by implanting either of two other hybridomas, O4 and A2B5, that secrete, respectively, antisulfatide and antigangliosi de IgM antibodies. The formation of expanded CNS myelin thus does not depend on antibodies to galactocerebroside specifically but can be med iated by IgM antibodies that react with other myelin glycolipids as we ll. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.