Abstract
Oligodendrocytes are the critical cell types giving rise to the myelin nerve sheath enabling efficient nerve transmission in the central nervous system (CNS). Oligodendrocyte precursor cells differentiate into mature oligodendrocytes and are maintained throughout life. Deficits in the generation, proliferation, or differentiation of these cells or their maintenance have been linked to neurological disorders ranging from developmental disorders to neurodegenerative diseases and limit repair after CNS injury. Understanding the regulation of these processes is critical for achieving proper myelination during development, preventing disease, or recovering from injury. Many of the key factors underlying these processes are epigenetic regulators that enable the fine tuning or reprogramming of gene expression during development and regeneration in response to changes in the local microenvironment. These include chromatin remodelers, histone-modifying enzymes, covalent modifiers of DNA methylation, and RNA modification–mediated mechanisms. In this review, we will discuss the key components in each of these classes which are responsible for generating and maintaining oligodendrocyte myelination as well as potential targeted approaches to stimulate the regenerative program in developmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.
Highlights
Oligodendrocytes are the specialized glial cells of the central nervous system (CNS) that produce the myelin sheaths surrounding axons and enabling salutatory conduction as well as providing metabolic support to axons[1]
Defects in the myelination process have been associated with developmental disorders such as autism[2,3,4,5] and coloboma, heart disease, atresia choanae, retarded growth and development, genital hypoplasia, and ear abnormalities (CHARGE) syndrome[6,7] as well as neurodegenerative diseases such as the demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis (MS) and various leukodystrophies[8]
neural progenitor cells (NPCs) become primitive oligodendrocyte progenitor cells expressing Olig1/2, committed OPCs (PDGFRα+/NG2+), which persist in the CNS throughout life[17]
Summary
F1000 Faculty Reviews are written by members of the prestigious F1000 Faculty. They are commissioned and are peer reviewed before publication to ensure that the final, published version is comprehensive and accessible. The reviewers who approved the final version are listed with their names and affiliations. Any comments on the article can be found at the end of the article
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