Ranvier revisited

Abstract

Nodes of Ranvier are the sites of saltatory conduction, which are a fundamental adaption of myelinated axons in the CNS and peripheral nervous system. Our understanding of the molecular organization of the nodal region has rapidly advanced. Many molecular components have been identified, as have the interactions among the axonal and glial molecules, accounting for the specialized features of nodal, paranodal, and juxtaparanodal domains (figure). With these discoveries, it is natural to consider whether molecules within the nodal complex act as antigens in autoimmune neuropathies, including Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). One set of candidates include the ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM) complex family of cytoskeletal proteins, which are localized to the microvilli of myelinating Schwann cells and abut the nodal axolemma.1 The current report identifies one member of this family, moesin (membrane-organizing extension spike protein), as a new antigen in GBS.2