Have you heard of NG2 cells or NG2 glia or polydendro- cytes~. These are new names for the precursor cells that used to be referred to as oligodendrocyte precursor cells （OPCs）, which become the oligodendrocytes tha...Have you heard of NG2 cells or NG2 glia or polydendro- cytes~. These are new names for the precursor cells that used to be referred to as oligodendrocyte precursor cells （OPCs）, which become the oligodendrocytes that myelinate central nervous system （CNS） axons. Evidence suggests, however, that they have other functions, besides differentiating into oligodendrocytes. Most notably, the OPCs/NG2 cells are uni- formly distributed in grey matter as well as in white matter, which matches poorly with the distribution of myelinating oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, not every NG2 cell is fated to become an oligodendrocyte. Hence the term OPC can be fairly applied only when discussing the role of these cells in the oligodendrocyte lineage.展开更多
基金supported by NIH NS079631,Shriners Hospitals for Children and Craig H.Neilsen Foundation
文摘Have you heard of NG2 cells or NG2 glia or polydendro- cytes~. These are new names for the precursor cells that used to be referred to as oligodendrocyte precursor cells （OPCs）, which become the oligodendrocytes that myelinate central nervous system （CNS） axons. Evidence suggests, however, that they have other functions, besides differentiating into oligodendrocytes. Most notably, the OPCs/NG2 cells are uni- formly distributed in grey matter as well as in white matter, which matches poorly with the distribution of myelinating oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, not every NG2 cell is fated to become an oligodendrocyte. Hence the term OPC can be fairly applied only when discussing the role of these cells in the oligodendrocyte lineage.
