Abstract (EN):
Previous reports, including transplantation experiments using dominant-negative inhibition of ß1-integrin signaling in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, suggested that ß1-integrin signaling is required for myelination. Here, we test this hypothesis using conditional ablation of the ß1-integrin gene in oligodendroglial cells during the development of the CNS. This approach allowed us to study oligodendroglial ß1-integrin signaling in the physiological environment of the CNS, circumventing the potential drawbacks of a dominant-negative approach. We found that ß1-integrin signaling has a much more limited role than previously expected. Although it was involved in stage-specific oligodendrocyte cell survival, ß1-integrin signaling was not required for axon ensheathment and myelination per se. We also found that, in the spinal cord, remyelination occurred normally in the absence of ß1-integrin. We conclude that, although ß1-integrin may still contribute to other aspects of oligodendrocyte biology, it is not essential for myelination and remyelination in the CNS. Copyright © 2006 Society for Neuroscience.
Language:
English
Type (Professor's evaluation):
Scientific