Primary articles from our lab
Fekete CD, Horning RZ, Doron MS, and Nishiyama A. Cleavage of VAMP2/3 affects oligodendrocyte lineage development in the developing mouse spinal cord. J Neurosci 2023 Aug 23. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2206-21.2023
Pfeiffer F and Nishiyama A. 2021. The impact of fixation on the detection of oligodendrocyte precursor cell morphology and vascular associations. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34073801/ Cells 10(6):1302 (May 24).
Sherafat A, Pfeiffer F, Reiss AM, Wood WM, and Nishiyama A. 2021. Microglial Neuropilin-1 trans-regulates oligodendrocyte expansion during development and remyelination. Nat Commun 12(1):2265 (pp1-17) April 15.
Boshans LL, Soh H, Wood WM, Nolan TM, Mandoiu II, Yanagawa Y, Tzingounis AV, Nishiyama A. 2021. Direct reprogramming of oligodendrocyte precursor cells into GABAergic inhibitory neurons by a single homeodomain transcription factor Dlx2. Sci Rep 11(1):3552 (pp1-15). Feb 11. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-82931-9
Medved J, Van Heyst MD, Wood WM, Sherafat A, Song J-Y, Sakya S, Wright DL and Nishiyama A. 2021. Novel guanidine compounds inhibit platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha transcription and oligodendrocyte precursor cell proliferation. GLIA 69(3):792-811. (March)
Boshans LL, Factor DF, Vijender S, Liu J, Zhao C, Mandoiu I, Lu QR, Casaccia P, Tesar PJ, and Nishiyama A. 2019. The chromatin environment around interneuron genes in OPCs and their potential for interneuron reprogramming. Front Neurosci vol 13 article 829, 2019.
Gotoh H, Wood WM, Patel KD, Factor DC, Boshans LL, Nomura T, Tesar PJ, Ono K, and Nishiyama A. 2018. NG2 expression in NG2 glia is regulated by binding of SoxE and bHLH transcription factors to a Cspg4 intronic enhancer. GLIA 66(12):2684-2699.
Serwanski DR, Rasmussen A, Perkins S, Brunquell C, and Nishiyama A. 2018. Sequential contribution of parenchymal and neural stem cell-derived NG2 cells toward remyelination. Neuroglia 1(1):91-105.
Zuo H, Wood W, Sherafat A, Hill RA, Lu QR, and Nishiyama A. , 2018. Age-dependent decline in fate switch from NG2 cells to astrocytes after Olig2 deletion. J Neurosci 38(9):2359-2371.
Serwanski DR, Jukkola P, Nishiyama A. 2017. Heterogeneity of astrocyte and NG2 cell insertion at the node of ranvier. J Comp Neurol. Feb 15;525(3):535-552.
Hill RA, Patel KD, Goncalves CM, Grutzendler J, Nishiyama A. 2014. Modulation of oligodendrocyte generation during a critical temporal window after NG2 cell division. Nat Neurosci. Nov;17(11):1518-27. (recommended for F1000 prime, 12/2/2014)
Hill RA, Medved J, Patel KD, Nishiyama A. 2014 Organotypic slice cultures to study oligodendrocyte dynamics and myelination. J Vis Exp. Aug 25;(90):e51835.
Hill RA, Patel KD, Medved J, Reiss AM, Nishiyama A. 2013. NG2 cells in white matter but not gray matter proliferate in response to PDGF. J Neurosci. 33(36):14558-66.
Zhu X, Zuo H, Maher BJ, Serwanski DR, LoTurco JJ, Lu QR, Nishiyama A. 2012. Olig2-dependent developmental fate switch of NG2 cells. Development. 139(13):2299-307.
Hill RA, Natsume R, Sakimura K, Nishiyama A. 2011. NG2 cells are uniformly distributed and NG2 is not required for barrel formation in the somatosensory cortex. Mol Cell Neurosci. 46(4):689-98.
Komitova M, Serwanski DR, Lu QR, Nishiyama A. 2011. NG2 cells are not a major source of reactive astrocytes after neocortical stab wound injury. Glia. 59(5):800-9.
Zhu X, Hill RA, Dietrich D, Komitova M, Suzuki R, Nishiyama A. 2011. Age-dependent fate and lineage restriction of single NG2 cells. Development. 138(4):745-53.
Komitova M, Zhu X, Serwanski DR, Nishiyama A. 2009. NG2 cells are distinct from neurogenic cells in the postnatal mouse subventricular zone. J Comp Neurol. 512(5):702-16.
Zhu X, Hill RA, Nishiyama A. 2008. NG2 cells generate oligodendrocytes and gray matter astrocytes in the spinal cord. Neuron Glia Biol. 4(1):19-26.
Zhu X, Bergles DE, Nishiyama A. 2008. NG2 cells generate both oligodendrocytes and gray matter astrocytes. Development. 135(1):145-57.
Yang Z, Suzuki R, Daniels SB, Brunquell CB, Sala CJ, Nishiyama A. 2006. NG2 glial cells provide a favorable substrate for growing axons. J Neurosci. 26(14):3829-39. (featured in Journal Club: Barbara Lober. Role of NG2 in Development and Regeneration. J Neurosci. 26(27):7127-7128, 2006)
Yang Z, Watanabe M, Nishiyama A. 2005. Optimization of oligodendrocyte progenitor cell culture method for enhanced survival. J Neurosci Methods. 149(1):50-6.
Bu J, Banki A, Wu Q, Nishiyama A. 2004. Increased NG2(+) glial cell proliferation and oligodendrocyte generation in the hypomyelinating mutant shiverer. Glia. 48(1):51-63.
Watanabe M, Hadzic T, Nishiyama A. 2004. Transient upregulation of Nkx2.2 expression in oligodendrocyte lineage cells during remyelination. Glia. 46(3):311-22.
Watanabe M, Toyama Y, Nishiyama A. 2002. Differentiation of proliferated NG2-positive glial progenitor cells in a remyelinating lesion. J Neurosci Res. 69(6):826-36.
Bu J, Akhtar N, Nishiyama A. 2001. Transient expression of the NG2 proteoglycan by a subpopulation of activated macrophages in an excitotoxic hippocampal lesion. Glia. 34(4):296-310.
Wu Q, Miller RH, Ransohoff RM, Robinson S, Bu J, Nishiyama A. 2000. Elevated levels of the chemokine GRO-1 correlate with elevated oligodendrocyte progenitor proliferation in the jimpy mutant. J Neurosci. 20(7):2609-17.
Earlier studies
Recent book chapters and review articles
Presentation and integration of multiple signals that modulate oligodendrocyte lineage progression and myelination. Front Cell Neurosci. 2022 Nov 14;16:1041853. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1041853. eCollection 2022
Sherafat A, Pfeiffer F, and Nishiyama A. 2021. Shaping of regional differences in oligodendrocyte dynamics by regional heterogeneity of the pericellular microenvironment. Front Cell Neurosci. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2021.721376
2021. Many roles for oligodendrocyte precursor cells in physiology and pathology. Neuropathology. 2021 Jun;41(3):161-173. doi: 10.1111/neup.12732. Epub 2021 Apr 28.
Nishiyama A, Shimizu T, Sherafat A, and Richardson WD. 2021. Life-long oligodendrocyte development and plasticity. Sem Cell Dev Biol. 116:25-37. Mar 16.
Boshans LL, Sherafat A, and Nishiyama A. 2020. The effects of developmental and current niches on oligodendrocyte precursor dynamics and fate. Neurosci Lett vol 715.
Nishiyama A and Butt AM. Chapter 8. NG2 cells (Polydendrocytes). In “Glial Biology: A Historical Perspective”. George DeVries and Anne Boulerne Ed. Wiley-Blackwell. In press.
Nishiyama A, Boshans L, Goncalves CM, Wegrzyn J, Patel KD. Lineage, fate, and fate potential of NG2-glia. Brain Res. 2016 May 1;1638(Pt B):116-28.
Nishiyama A, Lee A, and Brunquell CB. Chapter 10. NG2 (Cspg4): Cell surface proteoglycan on oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in the developing and mature nervous system. In Neural Surface Antigens. Chapter 9. Pp103-112. Ed. Jan Pruszak. Elsevier. 2015.
Nishiyama A, Suzuki R, Zhu X. NG2 cells (polydendrocytes) in brain physiology and repair. Front Neurosci. 2014 Jun 27;8:133.
Hill RA, Nishiyama A. NG2 cells (polydendrocytes): listeners to the neural network with diverse properties. Glia. 2014 Aug;62(8):1195-210.
Nishiyama A. NG2 cells. Chapter 10. Neuroglia 3rd Edition. Ed. Helmut Kettenmann and Bruce Ransom. pp. 109-121. Wiley. 2013. ISBN 0199794596.
Nishiyama A. Astrocyte differentiation from oligodendrocyte precursors. Chapter 3. Emerging Concepts in Neuro-Oncology. pp. 41-60, Ed. Colin Watts. Springer-Verlag London. 2013. ISBN 0857294571.
Zuo H, Nishiyama A. Polydendrocytes in development and myelin repair. Neurosci Bull. 2013 Apr;29(2):165-76.
Trotter J, Karram K, Nishiyama A. NG2 cells: Properties, progeny and origin. Brain Res Rev. 2010 May;63(1-2):72-82.
Nishiyama A, Komitova M, Suzuki R, Zhu X. Polydendrocytes (NG2 cells): multifunctional cells with lineage plasticity. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2009 Jan;10(1):9-22.
Nishiyama A. Polydendrocytes: NG2 cells with many roles in development and repair of the CNS. Neuroscientist. 2007 Feb;13(1):62-76.
Key collaborations
de Blank P, Nishiyama A, López-Juárez A. A new era for myelin research in Neurofibromatosis type 1. Glia. 2023 Jun 29. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37382486. doi: 10.1002/glia.24432
Olig2Ablation in Immature Oligodendrocytes Does Not Enhance CNS Myelination and Remyelination. J Neurosci. 2022 Nov 9;42(45):8542-8555. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0237-22.2022. Epub 2022 Oct 5.
Ortiz FC, Habermacher C, Graciarena M, Houry PY, Nishiyama A, Nait Oumesmar B, Angulo MC. 2019. Neuronal activity in vivo enhances functional myelin repair. JCI Insight 4(9):3123434 (May 2, 2019)
Hesp ZC, Suzuki R, Wilson C, Nishiyama A, and McTigue DM. Proliferating NG2+ cells are required for complete glial and fibrotic scar formation, maintenance of tissue integrity, and functional recovery after spinal cord injury in mice. J Neurosci 38(6):1366-1382, 2018.
Tognatta R, Sun W, Goebbels S, Nave KA, Nishiyama A, Schoch S, Dimou L, Dietrich D. Transient Cnp expression by early progenitors causes Cre-Lox-based reporter lines to map profoundly different fates. Glia. 2017 Feb;65(2):342-359.
Galvao RP, Kasina A, McNeill RS, Harbin JE, Foreman O, Verhaak RG, Nishiyama A, Miller CR, Zong H. Transformation of quiescent adult oligodendrocyte precursor cells into malignant glioma through a multistep reactivation process. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Oct 7;111(40):E4214-23.
Liu C, Sage JC, Miller MR, Verhaak RG, Hippenmeyer S, Vogel H, Foreman O, Bronson RT, Nishiyama A, Luo L, Zong H. Mosaic analysis with double markers reveals tumor cell of origin in glioma. Cell. 2011 Jul 22;146(2):209-21.
Wenker IC, Kréneisz O, Nishiyama A, Mulkey DK. Astrocytes in the retrotrapezoid nucleus sense H+ by inhibition of a Kir4.1-Kir5.1-like current and may contribute to chemoreception by a purinergic mechanism. J Neurophysiol. 2010 Dec;104(6):3042-52.
Kukley M, Nishiyama A, Dietrich D. The fate of synaptic input to NG2 glial cells: neurons specifically downregulate transmitter release onto differentiating oligodendroglial cells. J Neurosci. 2010 Jun 16;30(24):8320-31.
De Biase LM, Nishiyama A, Bergles DE. Excitability and synaptic communication within the oligodendrocyte lineage. J Neurosci. 2010 Mar 10;30(10):3600-11.
Ziskin JL, Nishiyama A, Rubio M, Fukaya M, Bergles DE. Vesicular release of glutamate from unmyelinated axons in white matter. Nat Neurosci. 2007 Mar;10(3):321-30.
Wigley R, Hamilton N, Nishiyama A, Kirchhoff F, Butt AM. Morphological and physiological interactions of NG2-glia with astrocytes and neurons. J Anat. 2007 Jun;210(6):661-70.