(OLIG) As Molecular Markers for Human Glial Brain Tumors
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Oligodendrocyte lineage genes (OLIG) as molecular markers for human glial brain tumors Q. Richard Lu*, John K. Park*†, Elizabeth Noll†, Jennifer A. Chan‡, John Alberta*, Dongin Yuk§, M. Garcia Alzamora*, David N. Louis¶, Charles D. Stiles*ʈ, David H. Rowitch§ʈ**, and Peter M. Black† Departments of *Cancer Biology and §Pediatric Oncology, the Program in Neuro-oncology, Dana–Farber͞Harvard 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, July 5, 2001 (received for review February 15, 2001) The most common primary tumors of the human brain are thought The absence of lineage-specific marker proteins for oligoden- to be of glial cell origin. However, glial cell neoplasms cannot be droglioma raises another question. Does oligodendroglioma fully classified by cellular morphology or with conventional mark- actually arise from oligodendrocytes or their progenitors? The ers for astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, or their progenitors. Recent term ‘‘oligodendroglioma’’ is empirical and reflects similarities insights into central nervous system tumorigenesis suggest that between the cellular morphology of well-differentiated tumors novel molecular markers might be found among factors that and nonneoplastic oligodendrocytes. Certain glial cell neo- have roles in glial development. Oligodendrocyte lineage genes plasms do express genes that are associated with undifferenti- (Olig1͞2) encode basic helix–loop–helix transcription factors. In the ated oligodendrocyte precursor cells (14). For instance, imma- rodent central nervous system, they are expressed exclusively in ture glial markers, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycon (NG2) and oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte progenitors, and Olig1 can ␣ receptor of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF␣R), are promote formation of an chondroitin sulfate proteoglycon-posi- detected in oligodendroglial tumors and pilocytic astrocytoma tive glial progenitor. Here we show that human OLIG genes are (PA) by immunohistochemical methods (15). However, NG2 expressed strongly in oligodendroglioma, contrasting absent or chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan antibody is known to label the low expression in astrocytoma. Our data provide evidence that O-2A progenitor (16), which can give rise both to oligodendro- neoplastic cells of oligodendroglioma resemble oligodendrocytes cytes and type 2 astrocytes in vitro as well as other tissue types or their progenitor cells and may derive from cells of this lineage. (e.g., capillaries) that might be found as components of brain ␣ They further suggest the diagnostic potential of OLIG markers to tumors. PDGF R is likewise expressed in other CNS cell types. augment identification of oligodendroglial tumors. Thus, neither of these markers is clearly specific to oligoden- drocyte progenitor cells. Indeed, the paucity of molecular mark- ers for early stages of normal glial cell development has made it lial neoplasms of the central nervous system (CNS) account difficult to establish the cellular origins of oligodendroglioma. Gfor less than 1.5% of all new cancer cases reported in the Recently rodent Olig1 and Olig2 genes were identified as United States each year. Nevertheless, these tumors are the fourth oligodendrocyte lineage genes, encoding basic helix–loop–helix MEDICAL SCIENCES leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States (1). The factors (17, 18). The Olig genes are expressed in rodent CNS high mortality rate of these infrequent cancers reflects the fact that specifically in cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage (17–19). two of the major subclasses—anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblas- Strikingly, Olig genes are expressed in embryonic oligodendro- toma (GBM)—are refractory to conventional modalities of surgical cyte precursors of the neural tube as well as in mature oligo- resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. On the other hand, dendrocytes. Thus, oligodendrocytes in the human CNS might selected patients diagnosed with anaplastic oligodendroglioma as be expected to express human OLIG genes regardless of their well as low-grade oligodendroglioma can respond dramatically degree of differentiation. This observation raised the question of to the chemotherapeutic regimen of procarbazine, lomustine whether human OLIG genes might serve as useful markers for (CCNU), and vincristine (2–4). The presence of oligodendroglial identification of oligodendrogliomas or brain tumors derived features in malignant astrocytoma also appears to connote a better from oligodendroglial cells. Here we report that OLIG genes are prognosis (5, 6). Thus there is prognostic and therapeutic value in expressed in human oligodendrocytes and show strong expres- the accurate diagnosis of oligodendroglial features within human sion in oligodendroglioma but not in other glial cell tumors. brain tumors. These results suggest the diagnostic potential of OLIG markers Although the biological distinction of oligodendroglial tumors to augment identification of oligodendroglial tumors and shed from other gliomas holds great significance, the histopatholog- light on the biological nature of these neoplasms. ical diagnosis of oligodendroglioma can be difficult, because there are currently no available molecular markers that reliably Materials and Methods distinguish oligodendroglial tumors from astrocytomas. Cell Human Brain Tissue Collection, Processing, and Histological Analysis. type-specific marker proteins for mature oligodendroglial cells, In accordance with institutional review board-approved human such as myelin basic protein, myelin-associated glycoprotein, tissue collection protocols, brain tumor samples were obtained myelin proteolipid protein, 2Ј,3Ј-cyclic nucleotide-3Ј-phospho- via open neurosurgical resection of masses from 23 patients; two diesterase, and galactolipids (GalC, O1, O4), are not expressed normal brain samples were collected during temporal lobe at detectable levels in oligodendrogliomas (7–10) (E.N. and resection for intractable epilepsy. In all cases, parts of the P.M.B., unpublished observations). Likewise, the mRNAs that encode mature oligodendrocyte marker proteins do not corre- late with the diagnosis of oligodendrogliomas by morphological Abbreviations: CNS, central nervous system; GFAP, glial fibrillary acidic protein; GBM, glioblastoma; PA, pilocytic astrocytoma; NG2, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycon. classification (11). Astrocytic glial cell markers such as glial  ʈTo whom reprint requests should be addressed. E-mail: Chuck[email protected] or fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S-100 are expressed in David[email protected]. both astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas at various levels. The publication costs of this article were defrayed in part by page charge payment. This They may be very useful for the diagnosis of astrocytomas but not article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. for oligodendrogliomas (7, 12, 13). §1734 solely to indicate this fact. www.pnas.org͞cgi͞doi͞10.1073͞pnas.181340798 PNAS ͉ September 11, 2001 ͉ vol. 98 ͉ no. 19 ͉ 10851–10856 Downloaded by guest on September 23, 2021 Table 1. OLIG expression in normal and neoplastic brain mRNA expression level Clinical diagnosis OLIG1 OLIG2 Nonneoplastic brain Cerebral cortex ϩ͞Ϫϩ͞Ϫ White matter ϩϩ Brain tumors Oligodendrogliomas Oligodendroglioma (grade II) ϩϩϩϩϩ ϩϩϩϩϩ Oligodendroglioma (grade II) ϩϩϩϩ ϩϩϩϩ Oligodendroglioma (grade II) ϩϩϩϩ ϩϩϩϩ Anaplastic oligodendroglioma (grade III) ϩϩϩϩϩ ϩϩϩϩϩ Anaplastic oligodendroglioma (grade III) ϩϩϩϩ ϩϩϩϩ Anaplastic oligodendroglioma (grade III) ϩϩϩ ϩϩϩ Astrocytomas Pilocytic astrocytoma (grade I) ϩ͞Ϫϩ͞Ϫ Pilocytic astrocytoma (grade I) ϩ͞Ϫϩ͞Ϫ Astrocytoma (grade II) ϩ͞Ϫϩ͞Ϫ Fig. 1. OLIG1 expression specifically identifies human oligodendrocytes. Astrocytoma (grade II) ϩ͞Ϫϩ͞Ϫ Frozen sections of temporal lobe tissue, resected from a patient with epilepsy, Astrocytoma (grade II) ϩ͞Ϫϩ͞Ϫ were analyzed by in situ hybridization with an antisense human OLIG1 cRNA Astrocytoma (grade II) ϩ͞Ϫϩ͞Ϫ probe and immunolabeling with the mature oligodendrocyte marker, myelin basic protein (MBP). (A, B) OLIG1 expression was detected in cells with oligo- Astrocytoma (grade II) ϩϩ dendrocyte morphological characteristics including, small round nuclei that Anaplastic astrocytoma (grade III) ϩ͞Ϫϩ͞Ϫ counterstain with methyl green (B), scarce cytoplasm, and formation inter- ϩ͞Ϫϩ͞Ϫ Anaplastic astrocytoma (grade III) fascicular cellular arrays (A and B, filled arrows). The white boxed area in A is Glioblastomas shown at higher power in B.(C, D) OLIG1 expression in cells adjacent to neuron Glioblastoma (grade IV) ϩ͞Ϫϩ͞Ϫ cell bodies, which contain large nuclei and dark brown lipofuscin granules Glioblastoma (grade IV) ϩ͞Ϫϩ͞Ϫ (arrowheads). Single OLIG1-positive cells (indicated by white arrows) were Glioblastoma (grade IV) ϩϩobserved in association with neurons (C) and as perineuronal oligodendrocyte Glioblastoma (grade IV) ϩϩsatellites (D). (E) In situ hybridization of OLIG1 mRNA transcripts in conjunc- Glioblastoma (grade IV) ϩϩtion with MBP immunolabeling, which identified cell body and myelinated fibers of oligodendrocytes, indicating that OLIG1-expressing cells are oligo- Glioblastoma