Caveolin-1 controls lineage fidelity of adult neural stem cells via lysosomal degradation of PDGFRα

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Abstract Caveolae are cell-surface signaling hubs involved in stem cell proliferation and differentiation. However, the molecular details of how they influence stem cell quiescence remain poorly understood. In this study, we show that most caveolae components, particularly caveolin-1 (Cav-1), are specifically upregulated in quiescent neural stem cells (NSCs). Furthermore, we demonstrate that Cav-1 restricts platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) α signaling, a key regulator for NSC proliferation and oligodendrocyte differentiation in the adult brain, through lysosomal degradation. Genetic ablation of Cav-1 leads to aberrant NSC activation, reduced neurogenesis, and enhanced ectopic oligodendrocyte differentiation on the ventricular surface in the ventral side of the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ), a key NSC niche responsible for neuroblast differentiation. Mechanistically, we show that Cav-1 deficiency suppresses the endo-lysosomal degradation of PDGFRα, leading to PDGFRα accumulation and excessive signaling for oligodendrocyte differentiation. Taken together, our results uncover a crucial homeostatic mechanism wherein caveolae function as a safeguard to maintain adult NSC quiescence and lineage fidelity by controlling lysosomal turnover of PDGFRα in a niche-specific manner.