Post-injury protective astrogenesis from SVZ niche is controlled by Notch modulator Thbs4

Postnatal/adult neural stem cells (NSCs) within the rodent subventricular/subependymal zone (SVZ/SEZ) generate Doublecortin (DCX)+ neuroblasts that migrate and integrate into olfactory bulb circuitry1,2. Continuous production of neuroblasts is controlled by SVZ microenvironmental niche3,4. It is generally believed that enhancing neurogenic activities of endogenous NSCs may provide needed therapeutic options for disease states and after brain injury. However, SVZ NSCs can also differentiate into astrocytes. It remains unclear if there are conditions that favor astrogenesis over neurogenesis in the SVZ niche, and if astrocytes produced there exhibit different properties from others in the brain. We have uncovered that SVZ-generated astrocytes express high levels of Thrombospondin-4 (Thbs4)5,6, a secreted homopentameric glycoprotein, in contrast to cortical astrocytes which are Thbs4low. We found that localized photothrombotic/ischemic cortical injury initiates a marked increase in Thbs4hi astrocyte production from the postnatal SVZ niche. Tamoxifen-inducible nestin-CreERtm4 lineage-tracing demonstrated that it is these SVZ-generated Thbs4hi astrocytes, and not DCX+ neuroblasts, that home-in on the injured cortex. This robust post-injury astrogenic response required SVZ Notch activation, modulated by Thbs4 vi