Evidence for oligodendrocyte progenitor cell heterogeneity in the adult mouse brain

Abstract

ABSTRACTOligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) are a mitotically active population of glia that comprise approximately 5% of the adult brain. OPCs maintain their proliferative capacity and ability to differentiate in oligodendrocytes throughout adulthood, but relatively few mature oligodendrocytes are produced following developmental myelination. Recent work has begun to demonstrate that OPCs likely perform multiple functions in both homeostasis and disease, and can significantly impact behavioral phenotypes such as food intake and depressive symptoms. However, the exact mechanisms through which OPCs might influence brain function remains unclear. In this work, we demonstrate that OPCs are transcriptionally diverse and separate into three distinct populations in the homeostatic brain. These three groups show distinct transcriptional signatures and enrichment of biological processes unique to individual OPC populations. We have validated these OPC populations using multiple methods, including multiplex RNA in situ hybridization and RNA flow cytometry. This study provides an important resource that profiles the transcriptome of adult OPCs and will provide a significant foundation for further investigation into novel OPC functions.