Schwann cell mitochondria as key regulators in the development and maintenance of peripheral nerve axons

D Ino, M Iino - Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 2017 - Springer
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 2017Springer
Formation of myelin sheaths by Schwann cells (SCs) enables rapid and efficient
transmission of action potentials in peripheral axons, and disruption of myelination results in
disorders that involve decreased sensory and motor functions. Given that construction of SC
myelin requires high levels of lipid and protein synthesis, mitochondria, which are pivotal in
cellular metabolism, may be potential regulators of the formation and maintenance of SC
myelin. Supporting this notion, abnormal mitochondria are found in SCs of neuropathic …
Abstract
Formation of myelin sheaths by Schwann cells (SCs) enables rapid and efficient transmission of action potentials in peripheral axons, and disruption of myelination results in disorders that involve decreased sensory and motor functions. Given that construction of SC myelin requires high levels of lipid and protein synthesis, mitochondria, which are pivotal in cellular metabolism, may be potential regulators of the formation and maintenance of SC myelin. Supporting this notion, abnormal mitochondria are found in SCs of neuropathic peripheral nerves in both human patients and the relevant animal models. However, evidence for the importance of SC mitochondria in myelination has been limited, until recently. Several studies have recently used genetic approaches that allow SC-specific ablation of mitochondrial metabolic activity in living animals to show the critical roles of SC mitochondria in the development and maintenance of peripheral nerve axons. Here, we review current knowledge about the involvement of SC mitochondria in the formation and dysfunction of myelinated axons in the peripheral nervous system.
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