PUBLICATION

Schwann cell spectrins modulate peripheral nerve myelination

Authors
Susuki, K., Raphael, A.R., Ogawa, Y., Stankewich, M.C., Peles, E., Talbot, W.S., and Rasband, M.N.
ID
ZDB-PUB-110518-38
Date
2011
Source
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America   108(19): 8009-8014 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Raphael, Alya, Talbot, William S.
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Actins/antagonists & inhibitors
  • Actins/physiology
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Polarity
  • Cytoskeleton/physiology
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Mutation
  • Myelin Sheath/physiology*
  • Peripheral Nerves/physiology*
  • RNA Interference
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Schwann Cells/cytology
  • Schwann Cells/physiology*
  • Sciatic Nerve/cytology
  • Sciatic Nerve/injuries
  • Sciatic Nerve/physiology
  • Spectrin/antagonists & inhibitors
  • Spectrin/deficiency
  • Spectrin/genetics
  • Spectrin/physiology*
  • Zebrafish/genetics
  • Zebrafish/physiology
  • Zebrafish Proteins/deficiency
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/physiology
PubMed
21518878 Full text @ Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
Abstract
During peripheral nerve development, Schwann cells ensheathe axons and form myelin to enable rapid and efficient action potential propagation. Although myelination requires profound changes in Schwann cell shape, how neuron-glia interactions converge on the Schwann cell cytoskeleton to induce these changes is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the submembranous cytoskeletal proteins αII and βII spectrin are polarized in Schwann cells and colocalize with signaling molecules known to modulate myelination in vitro. Silencing expression of these spectrins inhibited myelination in vitro, and remyelination in vivo. Furthermore, myelination was disrupted in motor nerves of zebrafish lacking αII spectrin. Finally, we demonstrate that loss of spectrin significantly reduces both F-actin in the Schwann cell cytoskeleton and the Nectin-like protein, Necl4, at the contact site between Schwann cells and axons. Therefore, we propose αII and βII spectrin in Schwann cells integrate the neuron-glia interactions mediated by membrane proteins into the actin-dependent cytoskeletal rearrangements necessary for myelination.
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