Publication Date:
2022-10-27
Description:
© The Author(s), 2021. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Moebius, W., Huemmert, S., Ruhwedel, T., Kuzirian, A., & Gould, R. New species can broaden myelin research: suitability of little skate, Leucoraja erinacea. Life, 11(2), (2021): 136, https://doi.org/10.3390/life11020136.
Description:
Although myelinated nervous systems are shared among 60,000 jawed vertebrates, studies aimed at understanding myelination have focused more and more on mice and zebrafish. To obtain a broader understanding of the myelination process, we examined the little skate, Leucoraja erinacea. The reasons behind initiating studies at this time include: the desire to study a species belonging to an out group of other jawed vertebrates; using a species with embryos accessible throughout development; the availability of genome sequences; and the likelihood that mammalian antibodies recognize homologs in the chosen species. We report that the morphological features of myelination in a skate hatchling, a stage that supports complex behavioral repertoires needed for survival, are highly similar in terms of: appearances of myelinating oligodendrocytes (CNS) and Schwann cells (PNS); the way their levels of myelination conform to axon caliber; and their identity in terms of nodal and paranodal specializations. These features provide a core for further studies to determine: axon–myelinating cell communication; the structures of the proteins and lipids upon which myelinated fibers are formed; the pathways used to transport these molecules to sites of myelin assembly and maintenance; and the gene regulatory networks that control their expressions.
Description:
This research received no external funding.
Keywords:
Myelin evolution
;
Little skate
;
Oligodendrocytes
;
Schwann cells
;
Elasmobranch
;
Spinal cord
;
Optic nerve
;
Electron microscopy
Repository Name:
Woods Hole Open Access Server
Type:
Article
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