Nogo-A is a reliable oligodendroglial marker in adult human and mouse CNS and in demyelinated lesions

The unambiguous identification of oligodendrocytes in tissue sections, especially in myelinated tracts, is often difficult. Most of the antibodies used to identify oligodendrocytes label the myelin sheath as well. Originally described as an inhibitor of axonal outgrowth, Nogo-A is known to be strongly expressed in mature oligodendrocytes in vivo. In the present investigation we analyzed the expression patterns of Nogo-A in adult mouse and human CNS as well as in demyelinating animal models and multiple sclerosis lesions. Nogo-A expression was compared with that of other frequently used oligodendroglial markers such as CC1, CNP, and in situ hybridization for proteolipid protein mRNA. Nogo-A strongly and reliably labeled oligodendrocytes in the adult CNS as well as in demyelinating lesions and thus represents a valuable tool for the identification of oligodendrocytes in human and mouse CNS tissue.