0000000000362085
AUTHOR
Isabelle Schäfer
Isolation and Culture of Oligodendrocytes
Primary cultures of brain-derived rodent cells are widely used to study molecular and cellular mechanisms in neurobiology. In this chapter, we describe methods of purifying and culturing oligodendroglial cells from mouse perinatal brains. In addition, we describe methods of coculturing the purified oligodendrocytes with neurons. When prepared and cultured according to these protocols, many essential aspects of the biology of oligodendrocytes, such as their proliferation, differentiation, and myelination, can be studied in culture.
MOBP levels are regulated by Fyn kinase and affect the morphological differentiation of oligodendrocytes.
Oligodendrocytes are the myelinating glial cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Myelin is formed by extensive wrapping of oligodendroglial processes around axonal segments which ultimately allows a rapid saltatory conduction of action potentials within the CNS and sustains neuronal health. The non-receptor tyrosine kinase Fyn is an important signaling molecule in oligodendrocytes. It controls the morphological differentiation of oligodendrocytes and is an integrator of axon-glial signaling cascades leading to localized synthesis of Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) which is essential for myelin formation. The abundant Myelin-Associated Oligodendrocytic Basic Protein (MOBP) resembles MBP in s…