Granule cell precursors (GCPs) drive the major postnatal expansion of the cerebellum and are the cells of origin of sonic hedgehog medulloblastoma (SHH MB). Although GCPs are often treated as a uniform population, increasing evidence suggests they are heterogeneous, and whether specific subpopulations show distinct tumorigenic competence remains unclear. Here, we identified a rare Nestin-expressing GCP subpopulation in the normal early postnatal cerebellum and showed that it is spatially restricted, molecularly distinct and highly competent to form. These cells are enriched in the posterior external granule layer and co-express Atoh1. Using different SHH MB mouse models, we showed that when this rare subpopulation of GCPs is targeted they can give rise to SHH MB with an efficiency comparable to targeting a larger number of Atoh1-expressing GCPs and that tumors derived from Nestin-expressing GCPs arise in the posterior-lateral cerebellum. Single cell RNA sequencing revealed that Nestin-expressing GCP have a transcriptome indicating reduced neuronal differentiation and enrichment for stem cell genes compared to bulk GCPs and more closely align with SHH MB cells. Together, our findings reveal functionally important heterogeneity within the GCP lineage and suggest that SHH MB arises preferentially from a small subpopulation of GCPs that express Nestin.
El Nagar, S., Liang, Y., Stephen, D., Wu, S. H., Joyner, A. L.
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