Rat oligodendroglial cell lines express a functional receptor for the chemokine CCL3 (macrophage inflammatory...

Regulation of migration, proliferation and differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells is central for the accurate assembly of myelin in the CNS. The recent demonstration that oligodendrocyte precursors express chemokine receptors suggests that chemokines are candidates to play a role in the regulation of migration, since they are important molecules involved in the trafficking of other cell types. Since the chemokine CCL3 (macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha) is expressed in various CNS diseases, we have used the oligodendrocyte precursor cell lines CG4 and OLN-93 to study the expression of receptors for CCL3 and the influence of CCL3 on oligodendrocyte precursor behaviour. Oligodendroglial cells express the receptor CCR1, but not CCR5. CCL3 induced an intracellular rise in Ca(2+), a typical signalling event of G protein-coupled receptors. Migration of cells was slightly inhibited by CCL3, while proliferation was not affected. The implications on CNS development, during which expression of chemokines and their receptors occurs, and on inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the CNS, like multiple sclerosis, are discussed.