Myc determines the functional age state of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells

Like many adult stem cell populations, the capacity of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) to proliferate and differentiate is substantially impaired with aging. Previous work has shown that tissue-wide transient expression of the pluripotency factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc extends lifespan and enhances somatic cell function. Here we show that just one of these factors, c-Myc, is sufficient to determine the age state of OPC: c-Myc expression in aged OPCs drives their functional rejuvenation, while its inhibition in neonatal OPCs induces an aged-like phenotype, as determined by in vitro assays and transcriptome analysis. Increasing c-Myc expression in aged OPCs in vivo restores their proliferation and differentiation capacity, thereby enhancing regeneration in an aged central nervous system environment. Our results directly link Myc to cellular activity and cell age state, with implications for understanding regeneration in the context of aging, and provide important insights into the biology of stem cell aging.