Effects of Extracellular Matrix Molecules on the Growth Properties of Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells In Vitro

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a component of neural cell niches and regulates multiple functions of diverse cell types. To date, limited information is available concerning its biological effects on the growth properties of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). In the present study, we examined effects of several ECM components, i.e., fibronectin, laminin, and Matrigel, on the survival, proliferation, migration, process extension, and purity of OPCs isolated from embryonic day 15 rat spinal cords. All three ECM components enhanced these biological properties of the OPCs compared with a non-ECM substrate, poly-D-lysine. However, the extents of their effects were somewhat different. Among these ECMs, fibronectin showed the strongest effect on almost all aspects of the growth properties of OPCs, implying that this molecule is a better substrate for the growth of OPCs in vitro. Because of its survival-and growth-promoting effects on OPCs, fibronectin may be considered as a candidate substrate for enhancing OPC-mediated repair under conditions when exogenous delivery or endogenous stimulation of OPCs is applied. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.