Related Experiment Videos
Central myelin in the mouse mutant shiverer
The Journal of Comparative Neurology
|December 1, 1980
Summary
The Shiverer mouse mutant has deficient central nervous system myelin, but its basic structures remain. Myelin abnormalities in this mutant involve quantitative changes and irregular form, not missing components.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- The Shiverer mutant mouse exhibits severe defects in central nervous system (CNS) myelination.
- Understanding the structural basis of these myelin deficits is crucial for deciphering myelin formation and maintenance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ultrastructural abnormalities of myelin in the Shiverer mutant mouse using electron microscopy.
- To determine if the absence of specific myelin proteins leads to the absence of basic myelin structural elements.
Main Methods:
- Electron microscopy was used to examine thin sections of the spinal cord, optic nerves, and cerebellum from Shiverer mutant mice.
- Detailed ultrastructural analysis focused on myelin sheath organization, periodicity, and associated cellular structures.
Main Results:
- Despite gross myelin deficiency, fundamental myelin structural elements were present in Shiverer mice.
- Compact myelin regions showed normal periodicity, and the radial component was identified.
- Abnormalities included reduced lamellar numbers, cytoplasmic inclusions, incomplete axonal encirclement, aberrant axoglial junctions, and evidence of myelin breakdown.
Conclusions:
- The myelin defects in the Shiverer mutant are characterized by quantitative alterations and morphological irregularities rather than the complete absence of specific structural components.
- The lack of certain proteins affects myelin structure and stability, leading to malformed and unstable myelin sheaths.