MYELINATION IN CEREBELLAR SLICE CULTURES - DEVELOPMENT OF A SYSTEM AMENABLE TO BIOCHEMICAL-ANALYSIS

Myelin deposition and maintenance are critical to proper function of t he mammalian nervous system. Previous investigations of myelination in the central nervous system (CNS) were hampered by the lack of an in v itro system that can faithfully reproduce in vivo events yet is amenab le to biochemical investigation. We have developed a procedure, based on organotypic cultures, which permits efficient preparation of large numbers of cerebellar slice cultures that can be easily manipulated. C ultures have been examined to document myelination biochemically (by i ncorporation of [S-35]sulfate into sulfolipids), immunohistochemically (by labeling the myelin components myelin basic protein and galactoce rebroside), and morphologically (by both light and electron microscopy ). We tested the effects of biologically active peptides and antibodie s on myelination in the thin slices. The results indicate that the cul tures provide an in vitro system that can be used to examine specific cellular events that occur during CNS myelination. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss , Inc.