Experience-dependent regulation of NG2 progenitors in the developing barrel cortex

Abstract

NG2 proteoglycan+ cells are neural and oligodendrocyte progenitors, and NG2+ cells in the developing barrel cortex receive glutamatergic thalamocortical inputs. Here, the authors show that NG2+ cells are primarily localized in barrel septa and that sensory deprivation induces NG2+ cell proliferation and differential localization in and around the barrels. We found that, during the formation of the mouse barrel cortex, NG2 cells received glutamatergic synapses from thalamocortical fibers and preferentially accumulated along septa separating the barrels. Sensory deprivation reduced thalamocortical inputs on NG2 cells and increased their proliferation, leading to a more uniform distribution in the deprived barrels. Thus, early sensory experience regulates thalamocortical innervation on NG2 cells, as well as their proliferation and distribution during development.