title: The PEN5 epitope identifies an oligodendrocyte precursor cell population and pilocytic astrocytomas.
abstract: PEN5 is a sulfated polylactosamine carbohydrate epitope first described in a subpopulation of mature natural killer cells. Here we report that it is also expressed in a developmentally regulated fashion in human and rat central nervous systems and that its protein carrier is P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1), a ligand for selectins. In rat neural primary cultures, PEN5 is transiently and selectively expressed by oligodendrocyte precursor cells and marks the transition from proliferative to postmitotic stages. In concordance, in human central nervous system tumors, PEN5 is observed in a subset of oligodendrogliomas and in all pilocytic astrocytomas, a class of tumor of uncertain histogenesis. These data suggest that PEN5-PSGL-1 plays a role in the differentiation of oligodendrocytes and that pilocytic astrocytomas are likely to result from a dysregulation occurring in oligodendrocyte precursor cells at the crucial stage of exit from the cell cycle.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Biopathologie Nerveuse et Musculaire, IBDM-Faculté de Médecine Timone Hôpital de la Conception UMR INSERM-CNRS 145, Marseilles, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Figarella-Branger
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: André
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guia
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Renaud
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Monti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vivier
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rougon
mesh_terms: D000606:Amino Sugars / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D051381:Rats; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000606:Amino Sugars; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C084882:P-selectin ligand protein; C084426:Pen5 antigen, human; D011134:Polysaccharides