posted on 2022-08-26, 10:13authored byBruno Frederico, Isaura Martins, Diana Chapela, Francesca Gasparrini, Probir Chakravarty, Tobias Ackels, Cécile Piot, Bruna Almeida, Joana Carvalho, Alessandro Ciccarelli, Christopher J Peddie, Neil Rogers, James Briscoe, François Guillemot, Andreas T Schaefer, Leonor Saúde, Caetano Reis e Sousa
Cells with latent stem ability can contribute to mammalian tissue regeneration after damage. Whether the central nervous system (CNS) harbors such cells remains controversial. Here, we report that DNGR-1 lineage tracing in mice identifies an ependymal cell subset, wherein resides latent regenerative potential. We demonstrate that DNGR-1-lineage-traced ependymal cells arise early in embryogenesis (E11.5) and subsequently spread across the lining of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-filled compartments to form a contiguous sheet from the brain to the end of the spinal cord. In the steady state, these DNGR-1-traced cells are quiescent, committed to their ependymal cell fate, and do not contribute to neuronal or glial lineages. However, trans-differentiation can be induced in adult mice by CNS injury or in vitro by culture with suitable factors. Our findings highlight previously unappreciated ependymal cell heterogeneity and identify across the entire CNS an ependymal cell subset wherein resides damage-responsive neural stem cell potential.
Funding
Crick (Grant ID: 10051, Grant title: Briscoe FC001051)
Crick (Grant ID: 10089, Grant title: Guillemot FC001089)
Crick (Grant ID: 10153, Grant title: Schaefer FC001153)
Crick (Grant ID: 10136, Grant title: Reis e Sousa FC001136)
Crick (Grant ID: CC1107, Grant title: STP Bioinformatics & Biostatistics)
Crick (Grant ID: CC1076, Grant title: STP Electron Microscopy)
Crick (Grant ID: 10009, Grant title: STP Experimental Histopathology)
Crick (Grant ID: CC1069, Grant title: STP Light Microscopy)
Wellcome Trust (Grant ID: 106973/Z/15/Z, Grant title: WT 106973/Z/15/Z)