The Ventricular-subventricular Zone, a Source of Myelinating Oligodendrocytes

Abstract

In the postnatal brain, the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) is a well-known neurogenic region that contains neural stem cells. These multipotential progenitors generate new neurons that migrate via the rostral migratory stream to reach the olfactory bulb, where they differentiate into functional interneurons that contribute to odor-discrimination tasks. Additionally, the neural stem cells of V-SVZ are also a source of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. These progenitors migrate and populate the neighboring corpus callosum, where they contribute to physiological myelin preservation and help in remyelination after white matter lesions. However, the production of these precursors is limited, but the oligodendroglia generation can be triggered by stimulating V-SVZ progenitors via the epidermal growth factor receptor or some synthetic agonists, which are currently available for clinical purposes.