Fig. 1

Cell-type-specific ablation of NG2. a, b Sham-operated control mice: b NG2 (blue) and PDGFRα (Pα, green) are both expressed by OPCs (arrowhead) in control mice injected with PBS (Sham -Cont). a To emphasize the presence or absence of NG2, NG2 alone is shown in white in the same field as b. e, f Sham-operated OPC-NG2ko mice: f NG2 (blue) is not detected in PDGFRα-positive OPCs (arrows, green) in OPC-specific NG2-null mice (O-cKO). e Same field as (f), NG2 alone (white). In both control and OPC-NG2ko genotypes, NG2 is expressed by pericytes observed in close proximity to CD31-positive endothelial cells (red; (b, f)). i, j Sham-operated My-NG2ko mice: j NG2 (blue) is expressed by Pα-positive OPCs (green, arrowhead) but is absent from IBA1-positive myeloid cells (red, asterisk) in myeloid-specific NG2-null mice (M-cKO). i Same field as (j), NG2 alone (white). c, d Lysolecithin-injected control mice at 1 week post-injury: d In demyelinated lesions in control mice 1 week after lysolecithin injection (Cont-1W), NG2 (blue) is expressed by Pα-positive OPCs (green, arrowheads) and by CD18-positive macrophages/microglial cells (red, double arrowheads). c Same field as (f), NG2 alone (white). g, h Lysolecithin-injected OPC-NG2ko mice at 1 week post-injury. h In demyelinated lesions in OPC-specific NG2-null mice 1 week after lysolecithin injection (O-cKO-1W), NG2 (blue) is ablated in Pα-positive OPCs (green, arrows) but is still expressed by CD18-positive myeloid cells (red, double arrowheads). g Same field as (h), NG2 alone (white). Compared to sham-operated animals, OPCs and myeloid cells are more abundant in demyelinated lesions. k, l Lysolecithin-injected My-NG2ko mice at 1 week post-injury: l In demyelinated lesions in myeloid-specific NG2-null mice 1 week after lysolecithin injection (M -cKO-1W), NG2 (blue) is expressed by Pα-positive OPCs (green, arrowheads) but is absent from CD18-positive myeloid cells (red, asterisks). k Same field as (l), NG2 alone (white). Scale bar is 20 μm