Dynamic interactions with neuroblasts promote oligodendrocyte progenitor migration to injured cortex

Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) generated in the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) migrate long distances to sites of brain injury to contribute to remyelination, but the mechanisms guiding their efficient recruitment remain unclear. Using a neonatal cortical injury model combined with live imaging and three-dimensional culture, we show that V-SVZ-derived OPCs migrate toward lesions by interacting with migrating neuroblasts that share the same route. Neuroblast contact significantly enhances OPC motility even in the absence of external scaffolds. High-resolution imaging reveals that these heterotypic interactions are associated with punctate adherens junctions that form and dissolve dynamically during migration. These findings uncover a previously unrecognized mechanism in which transient, dynamic adherens junctions support cooperative migration between neuronal and glial progenitors to facilitate efficient recruitment of OPCs to injured brain tissue.