Expression of myelin basic protein mRNA and polypeptides in mouse oligodendrocytes in culture: differential regulation by genetic and epigenetic factors

Abstract

We have analyzed the effects of genetic and epigenetic factors on the steady-state levels of myelin basic protein mRNA and polypeptides during development of mouse oligodendrocytes in culture. Oligodendrocytes were characterized by immunofluorescent staining with antibodies for the following markers: galactocerebroside, myelin basic protein, proteolipid protein, myelin-associated glycoprotein and 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide phosphohydrolase. Oligodendrocytes expressing one or more of these markers first appeared at 3 days in culture and increased to a maximum of 1.5 × 10 5 per brain around 6 days, after which the number remained constant up to 31 days. In medium containing fetal calf serum, accumulation of myelin basic protein polypeptides was delayed relative to in vivo in cultures derived from C57BL/6J, BALB/cJ and DBA/2J inbred mice, but not in cultures derived from C3H/HeJ and AKR/J inbred mice. In medium containing serum from other species or in serum substitute, the temporal expression of myelin basic protein polypeptides in cultures from all the inbred strains was contemporaneous with that in brain. Northern hybridization analysis indicated that the steady-state level of myelin basic protein-specific mRNA in all cultures was regulated similarly to in vivo suggesting that the delayed expression of myelin basic protein polypeptides in some cultures was due to translational and/or post-translational regulation. Analysis of myelin basic protein expression in cultures from informative hybrid and recombinant inbred strains indicated that translational or post-translational expression of myelin basic protein requires trans-acting factors, the inducibility of which is controlled by multiple genetic determinants which segregate independently and are expressed additively. Thus, the temporal expression of myelin basic protein in mouse oligodendrocytes in primary culture depends upon epigenetic factors in the medium and on the genetic haplotype of the mouse.