1. Academic Validation
  2. Impaired macroautophagy in oligodendrocyte precursor cells suppresses neuronal plasticity via a senescence-associated signaling

Impaired macroautophagy in oligodendrocyte precursor cells suppresses neuronal plasticity via a senescence-associated signaling

  • Sci Adv. 2025 Sep 26;11(39):eadq7665. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adq7665.
Hong Chen 1 2 Yan-Yun Sun 1 2 Qi-Fa Li 3 Yu-Tong Du 1 2 Na-Na Hu 3 Ao-Ran Sui 3 Xiao-Qing Luo 3 Xin Huang 1 2 Chao Zhu 1 2 Gang Yang 4 Lin-Lin Yao 1 2 Yong Tang 5 Hua Hu 1 2 Chun-Feng Liu 1 2 Jin Tao 6 Lei Feng 7 Frank Kirchhoff 8 9 Wenhui Huang 8 9 Shao Li 3 Quan-Hong Ma 1 2
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Neurology and Clinical Research Center of Neurological Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215004, China.
  • 2 Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215021, China.
  • 3 Department of Physiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebral Diseases, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Drug-Research and Development (R & D) of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China.
  • 4 Lab Center, Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
  • 5 International Collaborative Centre on Big Science Plan for Purinergic Signaling, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China.
  • 6 Department of Physiology and Neurobiology and Centre for Ion Channelopathy, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
  • 7 Monash Suzhou Research Institute, Monash University, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou 215000, China.
  • 8 Molecular Physiology, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), University of Saarland, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
  • 9 Center for Gender-specific Biology and Medicine (CGBM), University of Saarland, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
Abstract

Aging drives cognitive decline in the adult brain with unclear mechanisms. Previously, oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), the source cells of myelin-forming cells in the central nervous system, have been linked to brain aging by their compromised differentiation and regeneration capability. Whether a myelination-independent function of OPCs is involved in brain aging remains unknown. In this study, we herein report a myelination-independent role of OPCs in exaggerating cognitive decline in the aging brain via suppressing neuronal plasticity. Our results demonstrate that macroautophagic flux declines in aged OPCs. Inactivation of Autophagy promotes the senescence of OPCs, which activates C-C motif chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3)/CCL5-C-C motif Chemokine Receptor 5 signaling. Through this, autophagy-defective OPCs impair glutamatergic transmission, neuronal excitability, and long-term potentiation, exaggerating the cognitive decline in the aging brain. Our study demonstrates a myelination-independent role of OPCs in brain aging and identifies that a declined Autophagy in OPCs is a pivotal factor in driving aging-associated cognitive decline.

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