Substratum of pleiotrophin (HB-GAM) stimulates rat CG-4 line oligodendrocytes to adopt a bipolar morphology and disperse: Primary 0-2A progenitor glial cells disperse similarly on pleiotrophin

Pleiotrophin (HB-GAM), an extracellular matrix-associated protein with a hi gh content of basic amino acid residues, is expressed in the central nervou s system during late pre- and early post-natal development and promotes neu rite outgrowth in vitro. Here, we show that, on a substratum of pleiotrophi n formed from a 5 or 10 mu g/ml solution, undifferentiated rat CG-4 line ol igodendrocytes adopt a bipolar morphology and disperse over the substratum, as we have previously shown with poly-l-lysine (Rumsby et al. Neurosci Res Commun 23:101-109, 1998). On pleiotrophin substrata formed from coating so lutions of 1 mu g/ml and below, CG-4 line cells form aggregates and do not disperse, as is also the case with poly-L-lysine. The same dispersing effec t is observed with rat primary 0-2A progenitor glial cells on pleiotrophin substrata from solutions of 5 and 10 mu g/ml: 0-2A cells aggregate together on pleiotrophin substrata formed from lower concentrations and do not disp erse. A pleiotrophin substratum enhances proliferation of CG-4 line oligode ndrocytes and primary 0-2A progenitor glial cells. The results show that pl eiotrophin provides a substratum that can influence progenitor oligodendroc yte morphology, aid cell dispersion, and perhaps also enhance progenitor ol igodendrocyte cell growth. GLIA 26:361-367, 1999. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.