Data from: Developmental oligodendrocytes regulate brain function through the mediation of synchronized spontaneous activity

Uesaka, Naofumi 1 ; Masumura, Ryo1; Goda, Kyosuke1; Sekiguchi, Mariko1

Published Jun 17, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.b5mkkwhvj

Data files

Jun 17, 2026 version files 1.80 GB

CTL_imaging.zip

885.64 MB
DTA_Imaging.zip

911.96 MB
README.md

4.32 KB

Abstract

Synchronized spontaneous neural activity is a fundamental feature of developing central nervous systems and is thought to be essential for proper brain development. However, the mechanisms that regulate this synchronization and its long-term impact on brain function remain unclear. Here, we identify a previously unrecognized role of oligodendrocytes in orchestrating synchronized spontaneous activity during a critical developmental window, with lasting consequences for adult behavior. Using oligodendrocyte-specific genetic manipulation in the mouse cerebellum, we demonstrate that oligodendrocyte deficiency during early postnatal development, but not after weaning, disrupts the synchronization of Purkinje cell activity both during development and in adulthood. The early disruption produced persistent deficits in cerebellar-dependent behaviors, including anxiety, sociality, and motor function. Optogenetic re-synchronization in adulthood restored motor and social functions but not anxiety-like behavior, demonstrating that reduced Purkinje cell synchrony specifically drives the motor and social impairments. Our findings establish a causal link between developmental oligodendrocyte-regulated neural synchrony and the emergence of complex brain functions, which depend on the proper developmental trajectory necessary for driving brain function.

Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.b5mkkwhvj

Description of the data and file structure

This dataset contains in vivo cerebellar imaging data used to investigate how developmental oligodendrocytes regulate synchronized spontaneous neural activity of cerebellar Purkinje cells. Oligodendrocytes are the myelin-forming glial cells of the central nervous system. We genetically ablated oligodendrocytes in the mouse cerebellum during early postnatal development using an oligodendrocyte-specific adeno-associated virus (AAV), and then imaged the spontaneous activity of Purkinje cells during the developmental period to assess the effect on activity synchronization.

The dataset is organized into two experimental groups: CTL_imaging.zip and DTA_Imaging.zip

CTL (control) — animals injected with a control AAV (human Myelin-Associated Glycoprotein (hMAG) promoter-mCherry) that labels oligodendrocytes without ablating them.

DTA (oligodendrocyte-ablated) — animals injected with an ablation AAV (hMAG-Diphtheria Toxin Fragment A (DTA)) that selectively eliminates oligodendrocytes.

Each group is provided as a single compressed archive (.zip) containing the raw imaging files.

Note: Although this dataset is associated with a manuscript, it is intended to be understandable on its own. The sections below define all abbreviations, describe the file-naming convention, and provide the experimental context needed to interpret the files without reference to the paper.

Contents of each archive

The dataset consists of two archives, one per experimental group:

CTL_imaging.zip: Control (MAG-RFP) | calcium-imaging recordings from control animals |

DTA_imaging.zip: Oligodendrocyte-ablated (MAG-DTA) | calcium-imaging recordings from ablation animals.

Each .zip archive contains image files in standard TIFF format (.tif). Each file is a single imaging recording (a time-series image stack) from one field of view.

File dimensions / acquisition parameters

(applies to all files unless noted)

Image dimensions: 512 × 512 pixels

Number of frames per recording: 1800

Frame rate / acquisition rate: 5 Hz

Bit depth: 8-bit grayscale

Number of channels: 1

File-naming convention

Files within each archive follow this convention:

Group_SessionNumber.tif

Example: RFP_1a.tif

Group = CTL or DTA

Experimental context

Animals. C57BL/6N were used.

Genetic manipulation of oligodendrocytes. An oligodendrocyte-specific AAV was constructed using a human myelin-associated glycoprotein (hMAG) promoter together with an oligodendrocyte-directed capsid, restricting expression to oligodendrocytes.

Two AAV constructs were used:

MAG-mCherry (control): drives a red fluorescent protein (RFP) in oligodendrocytes, labeling the cells without affecting their survival.

MAG-DTA (ablation): drives diphtheria toxin fragment A (DTA), which is cytotoxic and selectively eliminates the transduced oligodendrocytes.

Injection. AAV was injected into the cerebellum at postnatal day 6–7 (P6–7).

Imaging. Spontaneous activity of cerebellar Purkinje cells was recorded by in vivo calcium imaging at P13–15, during the developmental window when synchronized spontaneous activity is prominent. Purkinje cell activity was monitored using a fluorescent calcium indicator (L76 promoter-GCaMP7f expressed via AAV ). The acquired time-series images capture fluorescence changes that report neural activity over time, which were subsequently used to quantify the degree of synchronization between Purkinje cells.

What the data show. Reduction of oligodendrocytes during this developmental window (DTA group) disrupts the synchronized spontaneous activity of Purkinje cells relative to controls (CTL group). The imaging files in this dataset are the raw recordings from which synchrony was measured.

Code / software

The imaging data can be viewed using Fiji (ImageJ), a free, open-source image processing package, available at https://fiji.sc. We used Fiji/ImageJ version 2.16.0/1.54p. The standard .tif / .tiff files can be opened directly; no additional plugins are required for basic viewing.