Emerging evidence is fueling a new appreciation of oligodendrocyte diversity that is overturning the traditional view that oligodendrocytes are a homogenous cell population. Oligodendrocytes of distinct origins, maturational stages, and regional locations may differ in their functional capacity or susceptibility to injury. One of the most unique qualities of the oligodendrocyte is its ability to produce myelin. Myelin abnormalities have been ascribed to a remarkable array of perinatal brain injuries, with concomitant oligodendrocyte dysregulation. Within this review, we discuss new insights into the diversity of the oligodendrocyte lineage and highlight their relevance in paradigms of perinatal brain injury. Future therapeutic development will be informed by comprehensive knowledge of oligodendrocyte pathophysiology that considers the particular facets of heterogeneity that this lineage exhibits.
Keywords: glia; macroglia; myelination; central nervous system development; oligodendrocyte progenitor cell; oligodendrogenesis; ontogenetic origin; preterm birth; white matter; white matter injury.