Expression of myelin proteins characteristic of fish and tetrapods by Polypterus revitalizes long discredited phylogenetic links.

CNS myelin constituents were used as evolutionary markers to study the controversial relationships of Polypterus with bony fishes, lungfishes and amphibians. The occurrence in Polypterus CNS of myelin proteins similar to those observed in the sterlet confirms its close relationship to Chondrostei. However, the simultaneous presence of proteolipid protein (PLP) demonstrates the existence of a long discredited relationship between Polypterus and tetrapods, and also with the lungfish Protopterus, an ally of tetrapods. As in the lungfish Protopterus, Polypterus cerebrosides and sulfatides contained alpha-hydroxy fatty acids. In contrast to Protopterus CNS myelin which carries glycosylated PLP but lacks Po-like component and the 36 kDa protein, Polypterus possesses these two bony fish myelin components. Furthermore, the presence of aglycosylated PLP in Polypterus, as in higher vertebrates, differentiates it from Protopterus. The simultaneous presence in Polypterus of myelin constituents from fish and land vertebrates indicates that Polypterids occupy an unusual intermediate phylogenetic position. The near absence of 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase activity in Polypterus. Protopterus, and in other fishes, confirmed by the lack of Wolfgram protein, establishes this myelin enzyme as the only CNS myelin constituent specifically expressed by tetrapods.