An olig2 reporter gene marks oligodendrocyte precursors in the postembryonic spinal cord of zebrafish.
Continuous production of new neurons and glia in adult mammals occurs within specialized proliferation zones of the forebrain. Neural cell proliferation and neurogenesis is more widespread in adult amphibians, reptiles, and fish but the identity of neural stem cell populations in these organisms has not been fully described. We investigated expression of a reporter gene driven by olig2 regulatory DNA at postembryonic stages in zebrafish. We show that olig2 expression marks a discrete population of spinal cord radial glia in larvae and adults that divide continuously. olig2(+) radial glia have hallmarks of stem cells and their divisions appear to be asymmetric, producing new oligodendrocytes but not neurons or astrocytes.
Park
Hae-Chul
HC
Graduate School of Medicine, Korea University, Ansan, Gyeonggido, Republic of Korea.
Shin
Jimann
J
Roberts
Randolph K
RK
Appel
Bruce
B
D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000166:cytology; D000076104:Oligodendrocyte Transcription Factor 2; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000166:cytology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology* / Q000254:growth & development; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D000076104:Oligodendrocyte Transcription Factor 2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; C465361:olig2 protein, zebrafish