Pillai Anilkumar M, Thaxton Courtney, Pribisko Alaine L, Cheng Jr-Gang, Dupree Jeffrey L, Bhat Manzoor A
Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7545, USA.
J Neurosci Res. 2009 Jun;87(8):1773-93. doi: 10.1002/jnr.22015.
The evolutionary demand for rapid nerve impulse conduction led to the process of myelination-dependent organization of axons into distinct molecular domains. These domains include the node of Ranvier flanked by highly specialized paranodal domains where myelin loops and axolemma orchestrate the axoglial septate junctions. These junctions are formed by interactions between a glial isoform of neurofascin (Nfasc(NF155)) and axonal Caspr and Cont. Here we report the generation of myelinating glia-specific Nfasc(NF155) null mouse mutants. These mice exhibit severe ataxia, motor paresis, and death before the third postnatal week. In the absence of glial Nfasc(NF155), paranodal axoglial junctions fail to form, axonal domains fail to segregate, and myelinated axons undergo degeneration. Electrophysiological measurements of peripheral nerves from Nfasc(NF155) mutants revealed dramatic reductions in nerve conduction velocities. By using inducible PLP-CreER recombinase to ablate Nfasc(NF155) in adult myelinating glia, we demonstrate that paranodal axoglial junctions disorganize gradually as the levels of Nfasc(NF155) protein at the paranodes begin to drop. This coincides with the loss of the paranodal region and concomitant disorganization of the axonal domains. Our results provide the first direct evidence that the maintenance of axonal domains requires the fence function of the paranodal axoglial junctions. Together, our studies establish a central role for paranodal axoglial junctions in both the organization and the maintenance of axonal domains in myelinated axons.
对快速神经冲动传导的进化需求导致了轴突依赖髓鞘形成的组织过程,形成了不同的分子结构域。这些结构域包括郎飞结,其两侧是高度特化的旁结结构域,在那里髓鞘环和轴膜共同构成轴-胶质分隔连接。这些连接是由神经束蛋白的一种胶质异构体(Nfasc(NF155))与轴突Caspr和Cont之间的相互作用形成的。在此,我们报告了髓鞘形成胶质细胞特异性Nfasc(NF155)基因敲除小鼠突变体的产生。这些小鼠表现出严重的共济失调、运动性轻瘫,并在出生后第三周前死亡。在缺乏胶质Nfasc(NF155)的情况下,旁结轴-胶质连接无法形成,轴突结构域无法分离,有髓轴突发生退化。对Nfasc(NF155)突变体的外周神经进行电生理测量发现神经传导速度显著降低。通过使用诱导型PLP-CreER重组酶在成年髓鞘形成胶质细胞中敲除Nfasc(NF155),我们证明随着旁结处Nfasc(NF155)蛋白水平开始下降,旁结轴-胶质连接逐渐紊乱。这与旁结区域的丧失以及轴突结构域的随之紊乱相吻合。我们的结果提供了首个直接证据,表明轴突结构域的维持需要旁结轴-胶质连接的屏障功能。总之,我们的研究确立了旁结轴-胶质连接在有髓轴突的轴突结构域的组织和维持中的核心作用。