Pushing myelination: developmental regulation of myosin expression drives oligodendrocyte morphological differentiation

Abstract

Oligodendrocytes are the central nervous system myelin-forming cells providing axonal electrical insulation and higher order neuronal circuitry. The mechanical forces driving oligodendrocyte precursor cells differentiation into myelinating oligodendrocytes are largely unknown but likely require the spatiotemporal regulation of the architecture and dynamics of the actin and actomyosin cytoskeletons. In this study, we analyzed the expression pattern of myosin motors during oligodendrocyte development. We report that oligodendrocyte differentiation is regulated by the synchronized expression and non-uniform distribution of several members of the myosin network, particularly non-muscle myosins 2B and 2C, that potentially operate as nanomechanical modulators of cell tension and myelin membrane expansion at different cell stages.