Monosynaptic tracing maps brain-wide afferent oligodendrocyte precursor cell connectivity

• Published in: eLife 2019-10, Vol.8
• Main Authors: Mount, Christopher W, Yalçın, Belgin, Cunliffe-Koehler, Kennedy, Sundaresh, Shree, Monje, Michelle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Afferent Pathways - anatomy & histology; Afferent Pathways - physiology; Animals; axon-glial synapse; Brain mapping; Corpus callosum; Corpus Callosum - anatomy & histology; Corpus Callosum - physiology; Cortex (barrel); Cortex (motor); Dendritic cells; Glial stem cells; Labeling; Lyssavirus; Mice; monosynaptic viral tracing; Motor Cortex - anatomy & histology; Motor Cortex - physiology; myelin; Neural circuitry; Neural networks; Neuroanatomical Tract-Tracing Techniques; neuron-glia interactions; Neurons; Neurons - physiology; Neuroscience; oligodendrocyte precursor cell; Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells - physiology; Physiological aspects; Rabies; Sensory deprivation; Sensory neurons; Somatosensory cortex; Somatosensory Cortex - anatomy & histology; Somatosensory Cortex - physiology; Synapses; Synaptogenesis; Thalamic nuclei; Thalamus
• ISSN: 2050-084X; 2050-084X
• DOI: 10.7554/eLife.49291

Neurons form bona fide synapses with oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), but the circuit context of these neuron to OPC synapses remains incompletely understood. Using monosynaptically-restricted rabies virus tracing of OPC afferents, we identified extensive afferent synaptic inputs to OPCs residing in secondary motor cortex, corpus callosum, and primary somatosensory cortex of adult mice. These inputs primarily arise from functionally-interconnecting cortical areas and thalamic nuclei, illustrating that OPCs have strikingly comprehensive synaptic access to brain-wide projection networks. Quantification of these inputs revealed excitatory and inhibitory components that are consistent in number across brain regions and stable in barrel cortex despite whisker trimming-induced sensory deprivation.