Oligodendrocyte lineage genes (OLIG) as molecular markers for human glial brain tumors

Departments of ^*Cancer Biology and ^§Pediatric Oncology, the Program in Neuro-oncology, Dana–Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115; ^†Department of Neurosurgery and ^‡Neuropathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115; ^¶Department of Pathology and Neurosurgical Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129; and ^**Division of Newborn Medicine, Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115

Communicated by Peter M. Howley, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (received for review February 15, 2001)

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.

Footnotes

↵ ‖ To whom reprint requests should be addressed. E-mail: Chuck_Stiles{at}dfci.harvard.edu or David_Rowitch{at}dfci.harvard.edu.
Abbreviations:

CNS,

central nervous system;

GFAP,

glial fibrillary acidic protein;

GBM,

glioblastoma;

PA,

pilocytic astrocytoma;

NG2,

chondroitin sulfate proteoglycon