Striatal lesion induce the re-emergence and integration of transient LGE-class interneurons from local astrocytes

Outside the periventricular niche, cortical and striatal astrocytes possess a widespread latent neurogenic potential, however the identity and integration capacity of their neuronal progeny are still unclear. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed that neuroblasts derived from striatal astrocytes after excitotoxic lesions or from striatal and cortical astrocytes after Notch pathway abrogation, also belong to LGE-class interneurons.

Interestingly, during development, neurons of this class transiently populate several brain regions, including the striatum. Despite their transient life, in the lesioned striatum these neuroblasts attain complex morphologies and receive excitatory inputs from cortical and thalamic neurons. Cortical and striatal astrocytes thus share with their periventricular siblings a commitment towards LGE-class interneurons, which include a new type of transient neuron that is widely distributed during development and can re-emerge on demand in adulthood.