Oligodendrocyte Progenitor - Morphology and Differentiation

Morphology and Differentiation

Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells early in life originate from the neuroepithelium of the spine and migrate to other areas of the brain. Immature oligodendrocytes are highly proliferative and migratory bipolar cells Oligodendrocyte progenitors differentiate into the less moble, pro-oligodendrocytes and sometimes a sub-population of astrocytes. Pro-oligodendrocytes further differentiate into oligodendrocytes, a process characterized by the emergence of the expression of myelin basic protein (MBP), proteolipid protein (PLP), or myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG). Following terminal differentiation in vivo, mature oligodendrocytes wrap around and myelinate axons. In vitro, oligodendrocytes create an extensive network of myelin-like sheets. The process of can be observed both through morphological changes and cell surface markers specific to the discrete stage of differentiation, though the signals for differentiation are unknown.

Differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitors involves massive reorganization of cytoskeleton proteins ultimately resulting in increased cell branching and lamella extension, allowing oligodendrocytes to myelinate multiple axons<. Several distinct pathways have been identified as the cause of oligodendrocyte branching, but their specific contributions have yet to be elucidated and the process by which oligodendocytes extend and wrap around multiple axons remains poorly understood.