Characterization of membrane markers of isolated oligodendrocytes and clonal lines of the nervous system

We show here that the major glycolipid in myelin, galactocerebroside, is not only a useful marker for isolated bovine oligodendrocytes but that its quantitation can serve as a probe for cell differentiation. We have produced in the rabbit antisera to bovine oligodendroglia, bovine myelin and galactocerebroside. The binding of these antisera to membrane components of bovine oligodendroglia, bovine thymocytes, mouse glioma (oligodendroglioma) clonal cell strain G 26-24 and mouse neuroblastoma NB2 A was investigated with [ 125I]protein A. We found major differences in immunological properties between the mature oligodendrocyte and clonal lines of oligodendroglioma cells. Differentiation appears to imply not only the expression of galactocerebroside but also of additional surface markers that are absent from the neurotumor cell lines.