Disorganization of myelinogenesis in tissue culture by anti-CNS antiserum.

The presence of decomplemented anti-CNS antiserum profoundly affects myelinogenesis in cultured mouse embryo spinal cord. Light and electron microscope study has shown that oligodendroglia differentiate and produce an abundance of cell processes which surround the oligodendrocytes in a chaotic, disorganized array. Where the cell processes chance to meet, they form a kind of aberrant swollen myelin. Rarely, the oligodendroglial processes ensheath axons. For the most part, the available axons remain unmyelinated. On removal of the decomplemented antiserum, oligodendroglia differentiate and form normal myelin around the available axons. Myelination of peripheral nervous system (dorsal root ganglion) axons in the same preparations is unaffected by the presence of the antiserum. Thus, under these circumstances, the message from the neuron to the oligodendrocyte to make myelin is apparently intact, yet there is interference with the ability of the oligodendroglial cell process to find, attach to and encircle CNS axons with a normal myelin sheath.