Neural cells from dogfish embryos express the same subtype‐specific antigens as mammalian neural cells in vivo and in vitro

Abstract

Neural cells are classically identified in vivo and in vitro by a combination of morphological and immunocytochemical criteria. Here, we demonstrate that antibodies used to identify mammalian oligodendrocytes, neurons, and astrocytes recognize these cell types in the developing spiny dogfish central nervous system and in cultures prepared from this tissue. Oligodendrocyte-lineage-specific antibodies O1, O4, and R-mAb labeled cells in the 9 cm dogfish brain stem's medial longitudinal fascicle (MLF) and in areas lateral to it. Process-bearing cells, cultured from the dogfish brain stem, were also labeled with these antibodies. An anti-lamprey neurofilament antibody (LCM), which recognized 60 and 150 kDa proteins in dogfish brain stem homogenates, labeled axons and neurons in the brain stem and axons in the cerebellum of the dogfish embryo. It also labeled cell bodies and/or processes of some cultured cerebellar cells. An anti-bovine glial fibrillary acidic protein antibody, which recognized 42-44 kDa protein(s) in dogfish brain stem homogenates, labeled astrocyte-like processes in the brain stem and cerebellum of the dogfish embryo and numerous large and small flat cells in the cerebellar cultures. These results demonstrate that dogfish oligodendrocytes, neurons, and astrocytes express antigens that are conserved in mammalian neural cells. The ability to culture and identify neural cell types from cartilaginous fish sets the stage for studies to determine if proliferation, migration, and differentiation of these cell types are regulated in a similar fashion to mammalian cells.

Features and Functions of Oligodendrocytes and Myelin Proteins of Lower Vertebrate Species

“…Furthermore, their cell lineage relationship closely resembles those of their mammalian counterpart in that they are generated from a population of A2B5 + precursor cells of typical bipolar morphology as shown for trout and goldfish (Sivron et al 1990;Jeserich and Stratmann 1992), while in the immature shark brain, oligodendroglial progenitor cells could be visualized with the O4 antibody (Gould et al 1995). Furthermore, in the zebrafish brain developing oligodendrocytes express the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor olig2 that is known to regulate transcription of the major myelin-specific genes in the mammalian brain (Zhou et al 2000).…”

Monoclonal antibodies to distinct regions of human myelin proteolipid protein simultaneously recognize central nervous system myelin and neurons of many vertebrate species

“…Shared antigens among nonmammalian and mammalian neural cell populations are increasingly being identified (Gould et al, 1995;Morris et al, 2004). These observations imply evolutionary acquisition of new protein functions (Aharoni et al, 2005), which appears to have been the evolutionary progression of the pgf proteins among marine and terrestrial vertebrates (Kitagawa et al, 1993).…”

Evolutionary Changes of Astroglia in Elasmobranchii Comparing to Amniotes: A Study Based on Three Immunohistochemical Markers (GFAP, S-100, and Glutamine Synthetase)

“…This method, using anti-mammalian GFAP antibodies, has proven to be applicable also in different vertebrates [Dahl and Bignami, 1973;Dahl et al, 1985;Onteniente et al, 1983], including Chondrichthyes [ Squalus acanthias ; Dahl and Bignami, 1973;Gould et al, 1995 and Mustelus canis , Raia ocellata ; Dahl et al, 1985]. These studies were confined to the demonstration of cross-reactivity of chondrichthyan GFAP with mammalian anti-GFAP antibodies in vitro and in other tissue samples.…”