黑料吃瓜资源

When the brain first wires itself up in early development, it creates more connections than it actually needs. Some of these connections, or synapses, will transmit critical signals as young animals begin to sense their surroundings. Others will be eliminated as the brain matures. Only those that the animal needs to understand and interact with the world are left.

黑料吃瓜资源 (CSHL) Assistant Professor Lucas Cheadle and colleagues have discovered that cells called oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) contribute to this pruning process. This helps shape a healthy brain during early development. Understanding this vital part of brain development may reveal new strategies for treating neurodevelopmental conditions like schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The discovery was sparked while using high-powered microscopes to examine the brains of adult mice. Cheadle鈥檚 team noticed that many OPCs were actively engulfing the connection points between neurons. The team suspected the cells might be busy eliminating synapses that the brain did not need. Cheadle and his team wondered if OPCs did the same thing in younger brains. A young animal鈥檚 experiences have a particularly profound impact on shaping neural circuits during early development.

The researchers raised young mice in the dark. When the mice were first exposed to light, OPCs began engulfing synapses in response. The cells were operating in their brain鈥檚 vision-processing circuitry. 鈥淥PCs seem to be especially poised to regulate brain connections associated with experiences,鈥� Cheadle says. 鈥淭hese cells are very responsive to new experiences. They can take that information and use it to shape brain connections.鈥�

The Cheadle team鈥檚 discovery reveals an unexpected role for OPCs. Several kinds of cells help shape neural circuits by eliminating unnecessary connections. OPCs had previously only been known for producing cells that surround and support neurons. Cheadle says:

鈥淭his is a cell type that鈥檚 really poised to sort of serve as an intermediary between what鈥檚 going on in the world out there and what鈥檚 happening inside of our brains.鈥�

Cheadle hopes this new information will help understand neurodevelopmental disorders better. He plans to investigate whether faulty OPC pruning plays a role in conditions like schizophrenia and ASD.

Written by: Jennifer Michalowski, Science Writer | [email protected] | 516-367-8455

Funding

Rita Allen Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship in Neuroscience, Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, National Institutes of Health

Citation

Auguste, Y.S.S., et al., 鈥淥ligodendrocyte precursor cells engulf synapses during circuit remodeling in mice鈥�, Nature Neuroscience, September 28, 2022. DOI: