Schwann cell lineage

The Schwann cell lineage is also characterized by sequential and overlapping expression of many stage-specific markers 454... 

In the development of the Schwann cell lineage, also, FGF-2 may play an important role. A number of studies (Stocker et al., 1991 Sherman et al., 1993 Eckenstein et al., 1994) have shown that FGF-2 induces neural crest cells (progenitors to Schwann and other cells) to differentiate into melanocytes. Mature Schwann cells respond to FGF-2 by proliferating (Davis and Stroobant, 1990 Peulve et al., 1994). Together, these observations show that, at least in vitro, FGF-2 can influence the differentiation of various glial cell types by acting either as a maturation factor (astrocytes) or as a dedifferentiation/ proliferation factor (oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells). 

These cell lines were examined for the expression of lineage-specific or lineage-related antigenic markers and for the expression of neural specific mRNAs. We examined the expression of NGF and its receptor, which are expressed by cells in the PNS, myelin basic protein (MBP) and the prote-olipid protein (PLP) of myelin which, in the PNS, are specific to Schwann cells. A neuron-specific gene SCG-10 (superior cervical ganglion, see Anderson and Axel, 1985) was also used in the analysis. 

Some of the cell lines also displayed a plastic or at least a bipotential nature, especially those in group 2. Particular cell lines expressed their bipotentiality in the expression of markers associated with two lineages. In one case a cell line, NC14.9.1, appeared to be bipotential since in a cloned population these cells expressed neurofila-ment as well as MBP and PLP, showing that it had characteristics of both neurons and Schwann cells. Likewise another cell line, NC14.4.9D, expressed both PLP mRNA and SCG-10 mRNA and all the cells express neurofilament. Similarly, multipotent neural cell lines have been isolated from newborn brain (Fredericksen et al., 1988 Ryder et al.,... 

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