Analysis of oligodendroglial differentiation using cDNA arrays

We used cDNA arrays to investigate molecular aspects of the differentiation of an immortalized line of oligodendroglial progenitors, and of immunopan- purified primary cultures of oligodendroglial progenitors, to immature olig odendroglia. Developmental regulation of the proteo-lipid and 2-hydroxyacyl sphingosine 1-galactosyltransferasegenes was tighter in the primary than in the immortalized cells. Our data suggest that increased expression of gene s encoding the following proteins are involved in oligodendroglial differen tiation: Fyn, Erk, p85, G-alpha-12 guanine nucleotide binding, and transduc in beta-2 signal transduction molecules; glial maturation factor; the prote asomal subunits C8 and C3; the proteasomal targeting molecule polyubiquitin ; the cell cycle regulatory proteins Set, protein phosphatase 2A, and nucle ar tyrosine phosphatase (PRL-1); and the high-affinity glutamate cotranspor ter EAAC-1. (C) 2000 Wiley Liss, Inc.