SLC44A1 deficiency impedes myelin development in the central nervous system

The axon-wrapping myelin sheath is essential for CNS function. Myelination defects occur in various neurodevelopmental disorders, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Human solute carrier 44A1 (SLC44A1) deficiency causes a new type of childhood-onset neurodegeneration with cerebellar atrophy and leukoencephalopathy that lacks effective treatment. Here, we show that SLC44A1 is enriched in oligodendrocytes and is required for myelin development in the CNS of zebrafish and rodents. In vivo time-lapse imaging of Slc44a1b-deficient zebrafish reveals impaired oligodendroglial maturation and myelinogenesis. Mechanistically, SLC44A1 deficiency disrupts the expression of genes involved in the phosphatidylcholine production pathway and subsequently inhibits phospholipid biosynthesis and disturbs the lipid composition of myelin sheaths. More importantly, supplementation with citicoline, a natural choline metabolite, restores developmental myelination in SLC44A1-deficient animals. Our findings demonstrate that SLC44A1 is essential for CNS myelination, and citicoline supplementation represents a potential therapy for developmental hypomyelination.