Analysis of glia cell differentiation in the developing chick peripheral nervous system: sensory and sympathetic satellite cells express different cell surface antigens.

To identify and analyse precursor cells of neuronal and glial cell lineages during the early development of the chick peripheral nervous system, monoclonal antibodies were raised against a population of undifferentiated cells of E6 dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Non-neuronal cells of E6 DRG express surface antigens that are recognized by four monoclonal antibodies, G1, G2, GLI 1 and GLI 2. The proportion of non-neuronal cells in DRG that express the GLI 1 antigen is very high during ganglion formation (80% at E4) and decreases during later development (15% at E14). GLI 2 antigen is expressed only on a minority of the cells at E6 and increases with development. The G1 and G2 antigens are expressed on about 60-80% of the cells between E6 and E14. All cells that express the established glia marker O4 are also positive for the new antigens. In addition, it was demonstrated that GLI 1-positive cells from early DRG, which are devoid of O4 antigen, could be induced in vitro to express the O4 antigen. Thus, the antigen-positive cells are considered as glial cells or glial precursor cells. Surprisingly, the antigen expression by satellite cells of peripheral ganglia is dependent on the type of ganglion: antigens G1, G2 and GLI 1 were not detectable on glial cells of lumbosacral sympathetic ganglia and GLI 2 was expressed only by a small subpopulation. These results demonstrate an early immunological difference between satellite cells of sensory DRG and sympathetic ganglia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)