Subcortical cytoskeleton periodicity throughout the nervous system

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cell Biology
• Biophysics

Background:

• A periodic cytoskeleton lattice (~190 nm) of actin and spectrin was recently observed in cultured hippocampal neurons.
• Its presence in other neuron types and its modification during myelination remained unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if the periodic cytoskeleton lattice is a common feature across different neuron types.
• To investigate how this subcortical meshwork is altered during axonal myelination.
• To explore the presence of this structure in glial cells.

Main Methods:

• Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) nanoscopy was employed.
• The study analyzed cultured neurons from various types and sciatic nerve fibers from adult mice.
• Cultured oligodendrocyte precursor cells were also examined.

Main Results:

• The periodic cytoskeleton lattice is a common feature in virtually all tested neuron types in vitro.
• Actin and spectrin periodicity was detected in both myelinated and unmyelinated axons without substantial differences.
• The characteristic actin/spectrin pattern was also identified in glial cells, including oligodendrocyte precursor cells.

Conclusions:

• The periodic subcortical cytoskeletal meshwork is a fundamental characteristic of cells within the nervous system.
• This structure is not exclusive to neurons but is also found in glial cells.
• Myelination does not significantly alter the periodic actin/spectrin meshwork in axons.