title: Oligodendrocyte lineage genes (OLIG) as molecular markers for human glial brain tumors.
abstract: The most common primary tumors of the human brain are thought to be of glial cell origin. However, glial cell neoplasms cannot be fully classified by cellular morphology or with conventional markers for astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, or their progenitors. Recent insights into central nervous system tumorigenesis suggest that novel molecular markers might be found among factors that have roles in glial development. Oligodendrocyte lineage genes (Olig1/2) encode basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors. In the rodent central nervous system, they are expressed exclusively in oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte progenitors, and Olig1 can promote formation of an chondroitin sulfate proteoglycon-positive glial progenitor. Here we show that human OLIG genes are expressed strongly in oligodendroglioma, contrasting absent or low expression in astrocytoma. Our data provide evidence that neoplastic cells of oligodendroglioma resemble oligodendrocytes or their progenitor cells and may derive from cells of this lineage. They further suggest the diagnostic potential of OLIG markers to augment identification of oligodendroglial tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Biology, the Program in Neuro-oncology, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Q R
authors.initials: QR
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Noll
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alberta
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yuk
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Alzamora
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Louis
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Stiles
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Rowitch
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Black
mesh_terms: D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D015870:Gene Expression; D018257:Helix-Loop-Helix Motifs; D006801:Humans; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D000076104:Oligodendrocyte Transcription Factor 2; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D009837:Oligodendroglioma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000076104:Oligodendrocyte Transcription Factor 2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C405707:OLIG1 protein, human; C405708:OLIG2 protein, human