Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2025
07:54
Rapid and Refined CD11b Magnetic Isolation of Primary Microglia with Enhanced Purity and Versatility
Published on: April 13, 2017
9.9K
Myelination generates aberrant ultrastructure that is resolved by microglia.
Minou Djannatian1,2,3,4, Swathi Radha1,2, Ulrich Weikert5
1Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University Munich , Munich, Germany.
The Journal of Cell Biology
|January 13, 2023
Summary
Developing central nervous system myelin undergoes significant refinement. Microglia and oligodendrocytes clear myelin debris and retract sheaths, respectively, correcting early structural inaccuracies.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Axons require myelin sheaths, formed by oligodendrocytes, for rapid action potential propagation.
- Myelination is crucial for nervous system development and function, typically occurring early in life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural and dynamic changes of central nervous system myelin during development.
- To understand the mechanisms of myelin refinement and clearance post-formation.
Main Methods:
- Ultrastructural analysis of mouse optic nerves using serial block face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM).
- Confocal time-lapse imaging of zebrafish spinal cord myelin dynamics.
Main Results:
- Myelin undergoes extensive ultrastructural changes during early postnatal development.
- Microglia phagocytose myelin debris via phosphatidylserine signaling.
- Oligodendrocytes retract and internalize entire myelin sheaths independently of microglia.
Conclusions:
- Myelin generation is an imprecise process requiring substantial refinement.
- Both microglia and oligodendrocytes play distinct roles in myelin remodeling and quality control.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Nervous Tissue: Myelin
2.9K
The myelin sheath is a multilayered lipid and protein covering that insulates the axon of a neuron, enhancing the speed of nerve impulse conduction. Axons without this sheath are referred to as unmyelinated. Two types of neuroglia, Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) are responsible for producing myelin sheaths.
Schwann cells begin to form myelin sheaths around axons during fetal development. They wrap around a small...
Schwann cells begin to form myelin sheaths around axons during fetal development. They wrap around a small...
2.9K
01:15Neurogenesis and Regeneration of Nervous Tissue
944
In the CNS, neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons from stem cells, is limited to the hippocampus in adults. In other regions of the brain and spinal cord, neurogenesis is almost non-existent due to inhibitory influences from neuroglia, especially oligodendrocytes, and the absence of growth-stimulating cues. The myelin produced by oligodendrocytes in the CNS inhibits neuronal regeneration. Furthermore, astrocytes proliferate rapidly after neuronal damage, forming scar tissue that physically...
944
01:32Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures
1.9K
Complex microtubule structures are present in resting cells and in dividing cells. In resting cells, they are responsible for maintaining the cellular architecture, tracks for intracellular transport, positioning of organelles, assembly of cilia and flagella. They mediate the bipolar spindle assembly for chromosomal segregation and positioning of the cell division plate in dividing cells. The formation of microtubule complex structures depends on the cell type, cell stage, and cell function.
1.9K
03:03Amyloid Fibrils
9.7K
Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins. Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called fibrils.
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining,...
9.7K