Our previous study has confirmed that the distribution of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) is disturbed in the embryonic cerebral cortex of Plexin-A4 knockout mice, and that Sema6A is expressed in OPCs in the region. The present study examined whether Sema6A expressed in OPCs is involved in their own migration, and used a clonal FBD-102b line as OPCs model. In an in vitro migration assay, Sema6A knockdown repressed the migration of FBD-102b cells. Additionally, in co-culture, 3T3 cells ectopically expressing Plexin-A4 were segregated from 3T3 cells ectopically expressing Sema6A. When FBD-102b cells were seeded in a spot and exposed to a gradient of both Sema3A and Sema6A, dispersion of FBD-102b cells was suppressed, and Plexin-A4 knockdown in FBD-102b cells attenuated the suppressive effect of the Semaphorins. These results indicate that Sema6A expressed in OPCs is involved in their autonomous migration through ligand-receptor interaction with Plexin-A4 expressed in surrounding cells.
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