Layer-specific lipid signatures in the human subventricular zone demonstrated by imaging mass spectrometry

The subventricular zone is a key site of adult neurogenesis and is also implicated in neurodegenerative diseases and brain cancers. In the subventricular zone, cell proliferation, migration and differentiation of nascent stem cells and neuroblasts are regulated at least in part by lipids. The human subventricular zone is distinctly layered and each layer contains discrete cell types that support the processes of neuroblast migration and neurogenesis. We set out to determine the lipid signatures of each subventricular layer in the adult human brain (n = 4). We utilised matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation (MALDI) imaging mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to characterise the lipidome of the subventricular zone, with histology and microscopy used for identifying anatomical landmarks. Our findings showed that the subventricular zone was rich in sphingomyelins and phosphatidylserines but deficient in phosphatidylethanolamines. The ependymal layer had an abundance of phosphatidylinositols, whereas the myelin layer was rich in sulfatides and triglycerides. The hypocellular layer showed enrichment of sphingomyelins. No discrete lipid signature was seen in the astrocytic ribbon. The biochemical functions of these lipid classes are consistent with the localisation we observed within the SVZ. Our study may, therefore, shed new light on the role of lipids in the regulation of adult neurogenesis.