Differential effects of growth factors on oligodendrocyte progenitor migration

• Published in: European journal of cell biology 2011-08, Vol.90 (8), p.649-656
• Main Authors: Vora, Parvez, Pillai, Prakash P., Zhu, Wenjun, Mustapha, Joumana, Namaka, Michael P., Frost, Emma E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Axons; Blotting, Western; Brain; Brain - embryology; Butadienes - pharmacology; Cell migration; Cell Movement - drug effects; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Central nervous system; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; ERK; Extracellular signal-regulated kinase; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases - metabolism; FGF2; Fibroblast growth factor 2; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 - metabolism; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 - pharmacology; Glial stem cells; Intracellular signalling; MAP Kinase Kinase 1 - antagonists & inhibitors; MAP Kinase Kinase 2 - antagonists & inhibitors; Migration; Nitriles - pharmacology; Oligodendrocyte progenitor; Oligodendrocytes; Oligodendroglia - metabolism; PDGF-A; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor - metabolism; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor - pharmacology; platelet-derived growth factor A; Protein-tyrosine kinase receptors; Rats; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - metabolism; Signal transduction; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Signal Transduction - physiology; Stem cells; Stem Cells - drug effects; Stem Cells - metabolism; Substantia alba
• ISSN: 0171-9335; 1618-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2011.03.006

Oligodendrocytes are myelinating cells of the CNS that originate as progenitor cells (OP) in discrete areas of the developing brain. During brain development, OP migrate significant distances prior to proliferating and myelinating the axons of the putative white matter tracts. Growth factors play a major regulatory role in the behavior of OP. Specifically, platelet-derived growth factor A (PDGF-A) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) are two of the most well characterized regulators of OP development. Both growth factors interact with tyrosine kinase receptors, activating various intracellular signaling pathways. The current study advances our earlier research by comparing the effects of both PDGF-A and FGF2 on OP migration. Our results show that activation of ERK is required for OP migration. These findings correlate well with our previous demonstration of the ERK pathway mediating PDGF-A induced OP migration. We also demonstrate the significance of threshold levels of growth factors and temporal regulation for OP migration. In addition, ERK activation alone is not sufficient to induce OP migration. The current research supports the involvement of the non-ERK mediated signaling pathway in OP migration.