Proximity of oligodendrocytes remodels astrocytes' transcriptome. Proximity of oligodendrocytes remodels astrocytes' transcriptome

We and other groups doumented that astrocytes modulate migration, maturation and myelin sythesis of oligodendrocytes through release of neurotransmitters, cytokins and other signaling molecules. However, much less is known about on how the oligodendrocytes affects the astrocytes. We compared the transcriptome of cortical astrocytes when cultured alone and co-cultured with non-touching immortalized precursor oligodendrocytes (Oli-neu) in insert systems. Experimental data indicate that the oligodendrocyte-conditioning medium has a substantial effect on the the gene expression in astrocytes. Moreover, oligodendendrocyte proximity remodels major astrocyte functional pathways. Overall design: we have used the multiple yellow design in which distinctly labeled samples of biological replicates are cohybridized with the microarray, the similarly labeled distinct conditions were compared and the results averaged for both channels. Thus each raw data file contains raw data for two samples (e.g. C1-2_US83300186_252665513680_S01_GE2_1105_Oct12_1_4.txt contains raw data for both C1 and C2 samples) and dye assignment is indicated in the label field in the corresponding sample records.