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Updated: Aug 3, 2025

Generation of Oligodendrocytes and Oligodendrocyte-Conditioned Medium for Co-Culture Experiments
Published on: February 9, 2020
Oligodendrocyte-derived transcellular signaling regulates axonal energy metabolism
1Synaptic Function Section, The Porter Neuroscience Research Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health, Room 2B-215, 35 Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892-3706, USA.
Abstract:
The unique morphology and functionality of central nervous system (CNS) neurons necessitate specialized mechanisms to maintain energy metabolism throughout long axons and extensive terminals. Oligodendrocytes (OLs) enwrap CNS axons with myelin sheaths in a multilamellar fashion. Apart from their well-established function in action potential propagation, OLs also provide intercellular metabolic support to axons by transferring energy metabolites and delivering exosomes consisting of proteins, lipids, and RNAs. OL-derived metabolic support is crucial for the maintenance of axonal integrity; its dysfunction has emerged as an important player in neurological disorders that are associated with axonal energy deficits and degeneration. In this review, we discuss recent advances in how these transcellular signaling pathways maintain axonal energy metabolism in health and neurological disorders.
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