Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) give rise to oligodendrocytes which myelinate axons in the central nervous system. Although classically thought to be a homogeneous population, OPCs are reported to have different developmental origins and display regional and temporal diversity in their transcriptome, response to growth factors, and physiological properties. Similarly, evidence is accumulating that myelinating oligodendrocytes display transcriptional heterogeneity. Analyzing this reported heterogeneity suggests that OPCs, and perhaps also myelinating oligodendrocytes, may exist in different functional cell states. Here, we review the evidence indicating that OPCs and oligodendrocytes are diverse, and we discuss the implications of functional OPC states for myelination in the adult brain and for myelin repair.

少突胶质前体细胞 (OPCs) 产生少突胶质细胞，在中枢神经系统中形成髓鞘轴突。尽管传统上被认为是同质种群，但据报道 OPCs 具有不同的发育起源，并在其转录组、对生长因子的反应和生理特性方面表现出区域和时间的多样性。同样，越来越多的证据表明髓鞘少突胶质细胞表现出转录异质性。分析这种报告的异质性表明，OPCs，也许还有髓鞘少突胶质细胞，可能存在于不同的功能细胞状态。在这里，我们回顾了表明 OPCs 和少突胶质细胞是多样化的证据，并讨论了功能性 OPC 状态对成人大脑髓鞘形成和髓鞘修复的影响。