Origin of Oligodendrocytes in the Subventricular Zone of the Adult Brain

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytes (type B cells) in the subventricular zone (SVZ) generate large numbers of new neurons in the adult brain. SVZ stem cells can also generate oligodendrocytes in vitro, but it is not known whether these adult primary progenitors generate oligodendrocytes in vivo. Myelin repair and oligodendrocyte formation in the adult brain is instead associated with glial-restricted progenitors cells, known as oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). Here we show that type B cells also generate a small number of nonmyelinating NG2-positive OPCs and mature myelinating oligodendrocytes. Some type B cells and a small subpopulation of actively dividing type C…

• “C
  “la Caixa” Foundation
• NI
  National Institutes of Health