MAG AND MOG ENHANCE NEURITE OUTGROWTH OF EMBRYONIC MOUSE SPINAL-CORD NEURONS

MYELIN-ASSOCIATED glycoprotein (MAG) inhibits neurite outgrowth of pos tnatal spinal cord neurons, but its effect on embryonic neurons is unk nown. The effect on neurite outgrowth of another myelin protein, myeli n-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) is also unknown. We determined th e effect of MAG and MOG on embryonic day 17 spinal cord neurons, which were cultured on MAG, MOG or control transfected CHO cells. Neurite o utgrowth was examined and both total neurite length and longest neurit e length were significantly enhanced by both MAG and MOG. These findin gs show that, in contrast to postnatal spinal cord neurons, MAG can en hance neurite outgrowth of embryonic spinal cord neurons. In addition, another myelin protein, MOG, can also modulate neurite outgrowth. (C) 1998 Rapid Science Ltd.