Proliferation of Schwann cells induced by axolemmal and myelin membranes
Purified Schwann Cells were cultured from neonatal rat sciatic nerve using a modification of the method of Brockes. Schwann cells and contaminating fibroblasts were unambiguously identified using fluorescent antibodies of 2'3' cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase and the thy 1.1 antigen respectively. The Schwann cells were quiescent unless challenged with mitogens. They proliferated rapidly in response to the soluble mitogen, cholera toxin, or to membrane fractions from rat CNS or PNS, prepared by the method of DeVries. Mitogenic activity was present in both axolemmal and myelin enriched fractions and promoted a 10-15 fold increase in the rate of /sup 3/H-thymidine uptake. The axolemmal mitogen was sensitive to heat (80/sup 0/C for 10 minutes), trypsin digestion (0.05% x 30 mins) or to treatment with endoglycosidase D, suggesting that it could be a glycoprotein. Fifty percent of the axolemmal mitogenic activity was solubilized in 1% octyl-glucoside. The solubilized material, however, was very unstable and further purification was not possible. The myelin associated mitogenic activity was markedly different. It was resistant to freeze thaw cycles, trypsin digestion of endoglycosidase treatment and the activity was actually enhanced by heating at 100/sup 0/C for two hours. It is proposed that the axolemmal activity is responsible for Schwann cell proliferation during development and that the myelin associated activity promotes Schwann cell proliferation during Wallerian degeneration.
- Research Organization:
- Virginia Commonwealth Univ., Richmond (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5804852
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
MITOGENS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
MYELIN
NERVE CELLS
CELL PROLIFERATION
TOXINS
ANTIBODIES
ANTIGENS
CELL MEMBRANES
FIBROBLASTS
FLUORESCENCE
RATS
THYMIDINE
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
AZINES
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LUMINESCENCE
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
MEMBRANES
NUCLEOSIDES
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PYRIMIDINES
RIBOSIDES
RODENTS
SOMATIC CELLS
TOXIC MATERIALS
VERTEBRATES
560301* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Cells- (-1987)
550201 - Biochemistry- Tracer Techniques