Stem Cell Reports
Volume 14, Issue 6, 9 June 2020, Pages 1076-1092
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Article
The Median Eminence, A New Oligodendrogenic Niche in the Adult Mouse Brain

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.04.005Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Median eminence of the hypothalamus contains proliferating OPCs

  • The number of OPCs in the median eminence is increased under demyelination

  • Median eminence cells generate neurospheres in vitro

  • Thrombospondin 1 inhibits oligodendrocyte differentiation of median eminence cells

Summary

The subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus are known as neurogenic niches. We show that the median eminence (ME) of the hypothalamus comprises BrdU+ newly proliferating cells co-expressing NG2 (oligodendrocyte progenitors) and RIP (pre-myelinating oligodendrocytes), suggesting their differentiation toward mature oligodendrocytes (OLs). ME cells can generate neurospheres (NS) in vitro, which differentiate mostly to OLs compared with SVZ-NS that typically generate neurons. Interestingly, this population of oligodendrocyte progenitors is increased in the ME from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)-affected mice. Notably, the thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) expressed by astrocytes, acts as negative regulator of oligodendrogenesis in vitro and is downregulated in the ME of EAE mice. Importantly, transplanted ME-NS preferentially differentiate to MBP+ OLs compared with SVZ-NS in Shiverer mice. Hence, discovering the ME as a new site for myelin-producing cells has a great importance for advising future therapy for demyelinating diseases and spinal cord injury.

Keywords

median eminence
multiple sclerosis
experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
oligodendrocyte progenitors cells
myelin repair
corpus callosum
subventricular zone
neural stem cells

Cited by (0)

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Present address: Neuroimmunology Laboratory, Multiple Sclerosis Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer 5262100, Israel

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Dedicated in memory of Professor Avraham Ben-Nun, a great human being and a courageous scientist