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Updated: Aug 18, 2026
Preparation of Rat Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cultures and Quantification of Oligodendrogenesis Using Dual-infrared Fluorescence Scanning
Published on: February 17, 2016
PDGF and FGF2 pathways regulate distinct oligodendrocyte lineage responses in experimental demyelination with
Joshua C Murtie1, Yong-Xing Zhou, Tuan Q Le
1Program in Molecular and Cell Biology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799, USA.
Abstract:
Repair of myelin damage in the adult CNS requires oligodendrocyte progenitor (OP) proliferation and subsequent differentiation into remyelinating oligodendrocytes. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) have been predicted to act individually and/or cooperatively to generate remyelinating oligodendrocytes. Analysis of PDGF alpha receptor (PDGF alpha R) heterozygous (+/-) mice indicates that PDGF alpha R expression modulates oligodendrocyte density in non-lesioned adult CNS. Analysis of cuprizone demyelination and recovery in PDGF alpha R+/- mice, FGF2 knockout (-/-) mice, and PDGF alpha R+/- FGF2-/- mice demonstrated that: (1) OP proliferation and oligodendrocyte regeneration is impaired in PDGF alpha R heterozygotes, (2) PDGF alpha R+/- and FGF2-/- deletions do not act cooperatively to impair OP amplification, (3) oligodendrocyte differentiation is more frequent in FGF2-/- mice, and (4) FGF2 deletion in combination with the PDGF alpha R+/- genotype rescues impaired oligodendrocyte regeneration of PDGF alpha R heterozygotes. These findings demonstrate distinct roles for PDGF and FGF2 in vivo in the context of a demyelinating disease with spontaneous remyelination.
