A permanent glial precursor cell line, immortalized with the adenovirus E1A gene, undergoes apoptosis in restrictive growth conditions.

We have previously described some differentiation properties of the ERD.1.1 cell line, obtained after transfer and integration of the adenovirus-5 E1A gene. Depending on the growth conditions, these cells differentiate towards the astrocyte or early oligodendrocyte differentiation pathway. However, in growth restrictive conditions, we observed dying cells that detached from the monolayer constituted of differentiating cells. This led us to examine the characteristics of the dying cells. The study of the low-molecular-weight DNA and the ultrastructural examination of chromatin showed that these cells were undergoing apoptosis. The results also suggest that the expression of an integrated polyoma middle T gene can partly save the cells from apoptosis.