A HUMAN GLIAL HYBRID CELL-LINE DIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSING GENES SUBSERVING OLIGODENDROCYTE AND ASTROCYTE PHENOTYPE

We have developed a series of immortal human-human hybrid cell lines t hat express phenotypic characteristics of primary oligodendrocytes, by fusing a 6-thioguanine-resistant mutant of the human rhabdomyosarcoma RD with adult human oligodendrocytes by a lectin-enhanced polyethylen e glycol procedure. Hybrids were selected in an aminopterin-containing media. In contrast to the tumor parent cells, a hybrid clone M03.13 e xpressed surface immunoreactivity for galactosyl cerebroside and intra cellular immunoreactivity for myelin basic protein (MBP), proteolipid protein (PLP), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Serum depri vation or chronic treatment with a protein kinase C activator 4-beta-p horbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), but not dibutyl cyclic adenosine monophosphate induced coordinate up-regulation or de novo induction o f oligodendrocyte phenotypic markers with concomitant down-regulation of GFAP expression. Consistent with immunohistochemical studies, north ern blot analysis demonstrated that both MBP and PLP mRNA were up-regu lated in M03.13 cells by PMA treatment. M03.13 cells provide an immort alized clonal model system suitable for study of gene expression subse rving oligodendrocyte and astrocyte phenotypes. (C) 1995 John Wiley an d Sons, Inc.