Oligodendrocyte regulation during autoimmune neuroinflammation

The present study had the purpose to analyze the transcriptional state of oligodendrocytes in an animal model of multiple scleroris resembling autoimmune neuroinflammation and compared with control mice treated with ovalbumin. The results revealed that oligodendrocytes from the EAE (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis) model upregulate genes that are involved in immune processes providing evidence that oligodendrocytes can develop an immune phenotype in particular neuroinflammatory conditions. Mice with c56Bl/6j background were imunized with MOG 35-55 peptide or ovalbumin and monitored until peak of disease. At maximum disease point the animals were euthanized and the oligodendrocytes were isolated using magnetic beads with O4 antibodies. RNAs of 6 EAE mice and 4 ovalbumin treated mice (OVA) were combined in 3 EAE pools (containing 2 EAE RNAs per pool), and three OVA samples/pools, so that two of the four OVA RNAs were combined in one pooled sample, the other two analyzed separately.