RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Age-Dependent Netrin-1 Signaling Regulates NG2+ Glial Cell Spatial Homeostasis in Normal Adult Gray Matter JF The Journal of Neuroscience JO J. Neurosci. FD Society for Neuroscience SP 6946 OP 6951 DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0356-15.2015 VO 35 IS 17 A1 Fikri Birey A1 Adan Aguirre YR 2015 UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/35/17/6946.abstract AB Neuron–glial antigen 2-positive (NG2+) glial cells are the most proliferative glia type in the adult CNS, and their tile-like arrangement in adult gray matter is under tight regulation. However, little is known about the cues that govern this unique distribution. To this end, using a NG2+ glial cell ablation model in mice, we examined the repopulation dynamics of NG2+ glial cells in the mature and aged mice gray matter. We found that some resident NG2+ glial cells that escaped depletion rapidly enter the cell cycle to repopulate the cortex with altered spatial distribution. We reveal that netrin-1 signaling is involved in the NG2+ glial cell early proliferative, late repopulation, and distribution response after ablation in the gray matter. However, ablation of NG2+ glial cell in older animals failed to stimulate a similar repopulation response, possibly because of a decrease in the sensitivity to netrin-1. Our findings indicate that endogenous netrin-1 plays a role in NG2+ glial cell homeostasis that is distinct from its role in myelination.