Astrocytes and NG2‐glia: what's in a name?

Nishiyama, Akiko; Yang, Zhengguan; Butt, Arthur M.

doi:10.1111/j.1469-7580.2005.00489.x

Cited by 107 publications

(92 citation statements)

References 32 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…In addition, although retaining a much higher number of radial glial cells in the adult telencephalon, the characteristic stellate-shaped astrocytes known from the mammalian brain could so far not be identified in the zebrafish telencephalon (Mä rz et al, 2010). The OPCs in the zebrafish telencephalon may thus compensate for this by having taken up functions that astrocytes in the mammalian brain carry out (Nishiyama et al, 2005) or radial glia-like cells subserve these astrocytic functions.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expression of the transcription factor Olig2 in proliferating cells in the adult zebrafish telencephalon

März

Schmidt

Rastegar

et al. 2010

Developmental Dynamics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The telencephalon of the adult zebrafish is highly proliferative: Dividing cells are found along the entire ventricular zone and in the parenchyma. Here, we investigated the relation of proliferating cells in the telencephalic parenchyma to the oligodendrocyte lineage. We find at least three different cell types of the oligodendrocyte lineage (olig2-and sox10-positive) in the parenchyma of the telencephalon: Proliferating progenitors (PCNA-positive), including a subpopulation of slowly dividing progenitors (long term label-retaining), as well as mature oligodendrocytes (Mbp-positive) and presumptive quiescent OPCs (neither Mbppositive nor proliferating). Furthermore, in the ventricular zone (in and ventral to the RMS), two different subpopulations of olig2-positive cell populations are present. Since these ventricular olig2-positive cells do not express the oligodendrocyte marker sox10, it is not clear whether these cells indeed belong to the oligodendrocyte lineage. Taken together, we detected at least five different classes of olig2-positive cells in the telencephalon of the adult zebrafish. Developmental Dynamics 239:3336-3349,

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expression of the transcription factor Olig2 in proliferating cells in the adult zebrafish telencephalon

März

Schmidt

Rastegar

et al. 2010

Developmental Dynamics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Despite common remarks in the literature that the human brain contains 100 billion neurons and 10-to 50-fold more glial cells (e.g., [57][58][59], no references are given to support these statements; to the best of my knowledge, they are none other than ballpark estimates (60). Comparing the human brain with other mammalian brains thus required first estimating the total numbers of neuronal and nonneuronal cells that compose these brains, which we did a few years ago (25).…”

Section: Human Brain As a Scaled-up Primate Brainmentioning

confidence: 99%

The remarkable, yet not extraordinary, human brain as a scaled-up primate brain and its associated cost

Herculano‐Houzel

2012

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

507

372

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Neuroscientists have become used to a number of “facts” about the human brain: It has 100 billion neurons and 10- to 50-fold more glial cells; it is the largest-than-expected for its body among primates and mammals in general, and therefore the most cognitively able; it consumes an outstanding 20% of the total body energy budget despite representing only 2% of body mass because of an increased metabolic need of its neurons; and it is endowed with an overdeveloped cerebral cortex, the largest compared with brain size. These facts led to the widespread notion that the human brain is literally extraordinary: an outlier among mammalian brains, defying evolutionary rules that apply to other species, with a uniqueness seemingly necessary to justify the superior cognitive abilities of humans over mammals with even larger brains. These facts, with deep implications for neurophysiology and evolutionary biology, are not grounded on solid evidence or sound assumptions, however. Our recent development of a method that allows rapid and reliable quantification of the numbers of cells that compose the whole brain has provided a means to verify these facts. Here, I review this recent evidence and argue that, with 86 billion neurons and just as many nonneuronal cells, the human brain is a scaled-up primate brain in its cellular composition and metabolic cost, with a relatively enlarged cerebral cortex that does not have a relatively larger number of brain neurons yet is remarkable in its cognitive abilities and metabolism simply because of its extremely large number of neurons.

show abstract

“…Even so, they lack expression of most differentiated glial celltype specific markers (12). Indeed, based on these observations, several studies have suggested that the majority of postnatal NG2ϩ synantocytes comprise an independent neuroepithelial lineage distinct from neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes (4,12,14), a proposal that has provoked ongoing debate (15,16).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of NG2 neural progenitor cells requires Olig gene function

Ligon

Kesari

Kitada³

et al. 2006

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

191

152

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the adult central nervous system, two distinct populations of glial cells expressing the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan NG2 have been described: bipolar progenitor cells and more differentiated ''synantocytes.'' These cells have diverse neurological functions, including critical roles in synaptic transmission, repair, and regeneration. Despite their potential importance, the genetic factors that regulate NG2 cell development are poorly understood, and the relationship of synantocytes to the oligodendroglial lineage, in particular, remains controversial. Here, we show that >90% of embryonic and adult NG2 cells express Olig2, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor required for oligodendrocyte lineage specification. Analysis of mice lacking Olig function demonstrates a failure of NG2 cell development at embryonic and perinatal stages that can be rescued by addition of a transgene containing the human OLIG2 locus. These findings show a general requirement for Olig function in NG2 cell development and highlight further roles for Olig transcription factors in neural progenitor cells.Cspg4 ͉ oligodendrocyte ͉ synantocyte ͉ glia ͉ regeneration N G2 cells are central nervous system (CNS) glial cells defined by their expression of the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, NG2, which is also known as Cspg4 or AN2 (1-4). A significant proportion of NG2 cells actively proliferate and indeed have been characterized as the most prevalent cycling progenitor cell population in the adult CNS (5, 6). NG2 cells have diverse functions and participate in oligodendrogenesis (7) and neurogenesis (8), as well as the physiologic support of neurons and synaptic signaling (4, 9). They have also been proposed to play critical roles in brain repair and regeneration and are the primary responding neural cell type to CNS injury (10, 11).Despite their abundance as a progenitor population and potential importance in maintenance and repair of neurological function, the developmental ontogeny of NG2 cells remains controversial (4,7,12). Cytologically, they are reportedly a heterogeneous population, and two distinctive cellular morphologies have been described: bipolar progenitor cells that resemble oligodendrocyte progenitors (OLP) (1, 13) and stellate ''synantocytes.'' Most postnatal NG2 cells are synantocytes, which are defined by a complex ''differentiated'' morphologic appearance. Even so, they lack expression of most differentiated glial celltype specific markers (12). Indeed, based on these observations, several studies have suggested that the majority of postnatal NG2ϩ synantocytes comprise an independent neuroepithelial lineage distinct from neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes (4, 12, 14), a proposal that has provoked ongoing debate (15, 16).The genetic pathways, which regulate NG2 cell development, have yet to be defined, and the question of whether bipolar NG2 cells and synantocytes have fundamentally similar or different origins is unresolved. Given their early developmental expression of OLP markers, NG2 cell formation mi...

show abstract

Astrocytes and NG2‐glia: what's in a name?

Cited by 107 publications

References 32 publications

Expression of the transcription factor Olig2 in proliferating cells in the adult zebrafish telencephalon

Expression of the transcription factor Olig2 in proliferating cells in the adult zebrafish telencephalon

The remarkable, yet not extraordinary, human brain as a scaled-up primate brain and its associated cost

Development of NG2 neural progenitor cells requires Olig gene function

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About