Investigation of Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cell Differentiation by Quantitative Proteomics

Oligodendrocytes, the myelinating cells of the central nervous system, are essential for correct brain function. They originate from oligodendrocyte precursor cells through a differentiation process which is only incompletely understood and impaired in a variety of demyelinating diseases. Better knowledge of this differentiation holds the promise to develop novel therapies for these disorders. The differentiation of rat oligodendrocyte precursor cells to oligodendrocytes in vitro is investigated. After confirmation of differentiation by immunohistochemical analysis using cell type-specific marker proteins, a quantitative proteomics study using tandem mass tags (TMT) is conducted. Four time points of differentiation covering early, intermediate, and late stages are investigated. Data analysis by Mascot and MaxQuant identified 5259 protein groups of which 471 are not described in the context of cells of the oligodendroglial lineage before. Quantitative analysis of the dataset revealed distinct regulation patterns for proteins of different functional categories including metabolic processes, regulation of the cell cycle, and transcriptional control of protein expression. The present data confirm a significant number of proteins known to play a role in oligodendrocytes and myelination. Furthermore, novel candidate proteins are identified which may play an important role in this differentiation process providing a valuable resource for oligodendrocyte research.