Surprising thermal transition in fish myelin
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta
|July 25, 1985
Summary
Researchers discovered a new temperature-dependent structural transition in nerve myelin (AS to AL) using X-ray diffraction. This finding in teleost nerves may offer insights into myelin
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biophysics
- Structural Biology
Background:
- Nerve myelin provides insulation for axons.
- Myelin structure is crucial for nerve function and health.
- Understanding myelin's structural dynamics is key to neurological research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate novel structural transitions in nerve myelin.
- To characterize the thermal reversibility of myelin structures.
- To explore the implications of myelin structural changes in teleost nerves.
Main Methods:
- X-ray diffraction analysis of excised teleost nerves.
- Experiments conducted in physiological saline.
- Temperature-dependent structural observations at varying Celsius degrees.
Main Results:
- A reversible structural transition (AS to AL) in nerve myelin was identified.
- The transition involves changes in repeating distances (d spacings) by 25-35 A.
- Bream spinal cord and optic nerve myelin showed thermal transitions, but brachial plexus did not.
Conclusions:
- The observed myelin transition is distinct from lipid phase transitions.
- Evidence suggests the existence of distinct subclasses within AS and AL myelin.
- These findings may hold significance for understanding myelin evolution and function.
