Transcriptional Convergence of Oligodendrocyte Lineage Progenitors during Development.

Marques S, van Bruggen D, Vanichkina DP, Floriddia EM, Munguba H, Väremo L, Giacomello S, Falcão AM, Meijer M, Björklund ÅK, Hjerling-Leffler J, Taft RJ, Castelo-Branco G

Dev. Cell 46 (4) 504-517.e7 [2018-08-20; online 2018-08-02]

Pdgfra+ oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) arise in distinct specification waves during embryogenesis in the central nervous system (CNS). It is unclear whether there is a correlation between these waves and different oligodendrocyte (OL) states at adult stages. Here, we present bulk and single-cell transcriptomics resources providing insights on how transitions between these states occur. We found that post-natal OPCs from brain and spinal cord present similar transcriptional signatures. Moreover, post-natal OPC progeny of E13.5 Pdgfra+ cells present electrophysiological and transcriptional profiles similar to OPCs derived from subsequent specification waves, indicating that Pdgfra+ pre-OPCs rewire their transcriptional network during development. Single-cell RNA-seq and lineage tracing indicates that a subset of E13.5 Pdgfra+ cells originates cells of the pericyte lineage. Thus, our results indicate that embryonic Pdgfra+ cells in the CNS give rise to distinct post-natal cell lineages, including OPCs with convergent transcriptional profiles in different CNS regions.

Affiliated researcher

PubMed 30078729

DOI 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.07.005

Crossref 10.1016/j.devcel.2018.07.005

pii: S1534-5807(18)30558-6
pmc: PMC6104814


Publications 9.5.1