Brain hypomyelination during postnatal undernourishment: a comparison of proteolipid protein synthesis versus...

A double isotope methodology which permits the separate analysis of (i) the synthesis of myelin proteolipid protein and (ii) its subsequent assembly into myelin membrane was applied to the case of postnatal undernourishment of rats. Results showed that brain proteolipid protein synthesis was greatly depressed, indicating that undernourishment limited the production of myelin components. This is a different result from that obtained in the mouse Quaking mutant, in which case component formation is normal whereas their assembly into myelin membrane is blocked. The results have possible implications regarding cellular development of oligodendroglia of undernourished rats.