Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), which differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes during CNS development, are the main proliferative cells in the adult brain. OPCs are conventionally considered a homogeneous population, particularly with respect to their electrophysiological properties, but this has been debated. We show, by using single-cell electrophysiological recordings, that OPCs start out as a homogeneous population but become functionally heterogeneous, varying both within and between brain regions and with age. These electrophysiological changes in OPCs correlate with the differentiation potential of OPCs; thus, they may underlie the differentiational differences in OPCs between regions and, likewise, differentiation failure with age.
Keywords: bioelectricity; differentiation; electrophysiology; glia; glutamate; ion channels; myelin; neurotransmitter receptors; oligodendrocyte; oligodendrocyte precursor cell.
Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.