Live imaging of remyelination in the adult mouse corpus callosum

Significance Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) retain the capacity to remyelinate axons upon demyelinating injury. However, mode of cell division and differentiation dynamics of individual OPCs in deep brain structures, such as the corpus callosum, remains unknown. Using in vivo two-photon imaging in a focal model of demyelination, we show that OPCs undergo several rounds of symmetric and asymmetric cell divisions before producing a subset of daughter cells that differentiates into myelinating oligodendrocytes. The data presented here characterize the behavior of OPC clones and delineate the cellular principles that lead to remyelination.