Role of the cellular prion protein in oligodendrocyte precursor cell proliferation and differentiation in the developing and adult mouse CNS

There are numerous studies describing the signaling mechanisms that mediate oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) proliferation and differentiation, although the contribution of the cellular prion protein (PrP c) to this process remains unclear. PrP c is a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored glycoprotein involved in diverse cellular processes during the development and maturation of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Here we describe how PrP c influences oligodendrocyte proliferation in the developing and adult CNS. OPCs that lack PrP c proliferate more vigorously at the expense of a delay in differentiation, which correlates with changes in the expression of oligodendrocyt…