Oligodendroglial precursor cell line [Oli-neu] undergoing differentiation into myelin basic protein-producing cells

Inadequate remyelination of brain white matter lesions has been associated with a failure of oligodendrocyte precursors to differentiate into mature, myelin-producing cells. In order to better understand which genes play a specific role in oligodendrocyte differentiation we performed time dependent, genome-wide gene expression studies of mouse Oli-neu cells as they differentiate into myelin basic protein-producing cells, following treatment with three different agents. Our data indicate that different inducers activate distinct pathways that ultimately converge into the differentiated state where regulated gene sets overlap maximally. In order to also gain insight into the functional role of genes that are regulated in this process, we silenced 88 of these genes using siRNA, and identified multiple repressors of spontaneous differentiation of Oli-neu, most of which were confirmed in rat primary oligodendrocyte precursors cells. Among these repressors were CNPase, a well-known myelin constituent, and three phosphatases, each known to negatively control MAP kinase cascades. We show that a novel inhibitor for one of the identified genes, dual-specificity phosphatase DUSP10/MKP5, was also capable of inducing oligodendrocyte differentiation in primary oligodendrocyte precursors. Oligodendrocytic differentiation feedback loops may therefore yield pharmacological targets to treat disease related to dysfunctional myelin deposition Keywords: time course triplicates for 3 times points 10h, 24h, 72h in 6 conditions, Forskolin, Insulin, Dexamethasone, Retinoic Acid, PD174265, Untreated. Arrays were done in two distinct experiments 1 and 2. Some replicates are missing because of lab operating issues