PUBLICATION

Contact-Mediated Inhibition Between Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells and Motor Exit Point Glia Establishes the Spinal Cord Transition Zone

Authors
Smith, C.J., Morris, A.D., Welsh, T.G., Kucenas, S.
ID
ZDB-PUB-141001-1
Date
2014
Source
PLoS Biology   12: e1001961 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Kucenas, Sarah, Morris, Angie, Smith, Cody
Keywords
Spinal cord, Embryos, Axons, Motor system, Central nervous system, Neural crest, Schwann cells, Zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics
  • Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism
  • Animals
  • Axons/ultrastructure
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Lineage/genetics
  • Cell Movement
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Morphogenesis
  • Motor Neurons/cytology*
  • Motor Neurons/metabolism
  • Myelin Sheath/ultrastructure
  • Oligodendroglia/cytology*
  • Oligodendroglia/metabolism
  • Organ Specificity
  • Repressor Proteins/genetics
  • Repressor Proteins/metabolism
  • Schwann Cells/cytology
  • Schwann Cells/metabolism
  • Spinal Cord/cytology*
  • Spinal Cord/growth & development
  • Spinal Cord/metabolism
  • Stem Cells/cytology*
  • Stem Cells/metabolism
  • Time-Lapse Imaging
  • Zebrafish/genetics
  • Zebrafish/growth & development*
  • Zebrafish/metabolism
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
PubMed
25268888 Full text @ PLoS Biol.
Abstract
Rapid conduction of action potentials along motor axons requires that oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells myelinate distinct central and peripheral nervous system (CNS and PNS) domains along the same axon. Despite the importance of this arrangement for nervous system function, the mechanisms that establish and maintain this precise glial segregation at the motor exit point (MEP) transition zone are unknown. Using in vivo time-lapse imaging in zebrafish, we observed that prior to myelination, oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) extend processes into the periphery via the MEP and immediately upon contact with spinal motor root glia retract back into the spinal cord. Characterization of the peripheral cell responsible for repelling OPC processes revealed that it was a novel, CNS-derived population of glia we propose calling MEP glia. Ablation of MEP glia resulted in the absence of myelinating glia along spinal motor root axons and an immediate breach of the MEP by OPCs. Taken together, our results identify a novel population of CNS-derived peripheral glia located at the MEP that selectively restrict the migration of OPCs into the periphery via contact-mediated inhibition.
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Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
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