BACKGROUND Olig1 is a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor that is essential for oligodendrogenesis and efficient remyelination. However, its role in neurodegenerative disorders has not been well-elucidated. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here we investigated the effects of Olig1 deficiency on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis...

The oligodendrocyte lineage genes (Olig1/2), encoding basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors, were first identified in screens for master regulators of oligodendrocyte development. OLIG1 is important for differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursors into myelin-forming oligodendrocytes during development and is thought to play a crucial role in remyelination during multiple sclerosis. How...

Oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination are tightly regulated processes orchestrated by a complex transcriptional network. Two bHLH transcription factors in this network, Olig1 and Olig2, are expressed exclusively by oligodendrocytes after late embryonic development. Although the role of Olig2 in the lineage is well established, the role of Olig1 is still unclear. The current studies an...

The transcription factors Olig1 and Olig2 are closely associated with the development of oligodendrocyte (OL) lineage in the vertebrate nervous system, but little is known about their role in the human developing CNS. To test the hypothesis that they contribute to initial OL specification in humans, we studied the expression of Olig1 and Olig2 in human fetuses at 5-24 gestational weeks (GW). Bo...

Abnormal GABAergic interneuron density, and imbalance of excitatory versus inhibitory tone, is thought to result in epilepsy, neurodevelopmental disorders, and psychiatric disease. Recent studies indicate that interneuron cortical density is determined primarily by the size of the precursor pool in the embryonic telencephalon. However, factors essential for regulating interneuron allocation fro...

OLIG1 and OLIG2 are basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors expressed in the pMN domain of the spinal cord, which sequentially generates motoneurons and oligodendrocytes. In Olig1/2 double-mutant mice, motoneurons are largely eliminated, and oligodendrocyte differentiation is abolished. Lineage tracing data suggest that Olig1(-/-)2(-/-) pMN progenitors instead generate V2 interneuro...

Current approaches to derive oligodendrocytes from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) need extended exposure of hPSCs to growth factors and small molecules, which limits their clinical application because of the lengthy culture time required and low generation efficiency of myelinating oligodendrocytes. Compared to extrinsic growth factors and molecules, oligodendrocyte differentiation and ma...

OLIG1 is an oligodendrocyte (OL) transcription factor, which can contribute to the proliferation and differentiation of OLs, and the maturation of myelin. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of OLIG1 in neonatal Sprague Dawley rats with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), induced by hypoxia‑ischemia (HI). Newborn rats in the HI group were subjected to ligation of the right carotid art...

Recent in situ hybridization studies showed that mRNA levels of OLIG1 and OLIG2 transcription factors are elevated in oligodendrogliomas. We raised polyclonal antibodies against a synthetic peptide homologous to the human transcription factor Olig1 and studied by immunohistochemistry the expression of Olig1 in 84 brain tumors and in non-neoplastic brain tissues. All oligodendrogliomas, oligoast...

Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta induces various cellular responses principally through Smad-dependent transcriptional regulation. Activated Smad complexes cooperate with transcription factors in regulating a group of target genes. The target genes controlled by the same Smad-cofactor complexes are denoted a synexpression group. We found that an Id-like helix-loop-helix protein, human homo...