Wade Quinn W, Connor James R
Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.
Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.
Glia. 2025 Sep;73(9):1784-1804. doi: 10.1002/glia.70043. Epub 2025 May 22.
Iron is essential for life and plays a key role in multiple fundamental cellular functions. The brain has the highest rate of energy consumption, and within the brain, oligodendrocytes have the highest level of oxidative metabolism per volume. Oligodendrocytes also stain the strongest for iron. The high requirement for iron is related to an oligodendrocyte's primary function to produce the myelin sheath, which requires iron as a cofactor. In addition to the high-energy demands that accompany the production of such dense and extensive membranous sheaths, iron is also required for lipid synthesis. Although the involvement of iron in oligodendrocyte functioning is clear, how iron is specifically acquired and utilized by oligodendrocytes is not completely understood. The purpose of this review is to provide a complete and thorough overview of the role of iron in oligodendrocytes. Here, we discuss in detail what is currently known about key iron transport proteins that participate in the balance of iron in oligodendrocytes. Understanding how oligodendrocytes utilize iron is beneficial in understanding dysmyelinating diseases, and the knowledge could be utilized to develop treatment options.
铁对生命至关重要,在多种基本细胞功能中发挥关键作用。大脑的能量消耗率最高,在大脑中,少突胶质细胞每单位体积的氧化代谢水平最高。少突胶质细胞对铁的染色也最强。对铁的高需求与少突胶质细胞产生髓鞘的主要功能有关,髓鞘形成需要铁作为辅助因子。除了产生如此致密和广泛的膜鞘所伴随的高能量需求外,脂质合成也需要铁。虽然铁在少突胶质细胞功能中的作用是明确的,但少突胶质细胞如何特异性获取和利用铁尚不完全清楚。本综述的目的是全面、深入地概述铁在少突胶质细胞中的作用。在此,我们详细讨论目前已知的参与少突胶质细胞铁平衡的关键铁转运蛋白。了解少突胶质细胞如何利用铁有助于理解脱髓鞘疾病,这些知识可用于开发治疗方案。