CILIARY NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR AND LEUKEMIA INHIBITORY FACTOR PROMOTE THE GENERATION, MATURATION AND SURVIVAL OF OLIGODENDROCYTES IN-VITRO

We have found that CNTF and LIF are pleiotropic modulators of developm ent in the O-2A lineage. Both molecules enhanced the generation of oli godendrocytes in cultures of dividing O-2A progenitors. CNTF and LIF a lso promoted oligodendrocyte maturation, as determined by expression o f myelin basic protein, and could promote oligodendrocyte survival to an extent comparable with insulin-like growth factor-1 or insulin. In addition, LIF and CNTF both promoted the differentiation of O-2A proge nitors into type-2 astrocytes but only when applied in the presence of extracellular matrix (EnMx) derived from cultures of endothelial cell s. The ability of CNTF and LIF to enhance differentiation of O-2A prog enitors along either of the alternative pathways of oligodendrocyte an d astrocyte differentiation suggests that these proteins are able to e nhance the process of differentiation per se, while the actual path of differentiation promoted is determined by the presence or absence of additional molecules in the extracellular environment.