Lifelong cortical myelin plasticity and age-related degeneration in the live mammalian brain.

ABSTRACT: Axonal myelin increases neural processing speed and efficiency. It is unknown whether patterns of myelin distribution are fixed or whether myelinating oligodendrocytes are continually generated in adulthood and maintain the capacity for structural remodeling. Using high-resolution, intravital label-free and fluorescence optical imaging in mouse cortex, we demonstrate lifelong oligodendrocyte generation occurring in parallel with structural plasticity of individual myelin internodes. Continuous internode formation occurred on both partially myelinated and unmyelinated axons, and the total myelin coverage along individual axons progressed up to two years of age. After peak myelination, gradual oligodendrocyte death and myelin degeneration in aging were associated with pronounced internode lo

SUBMITTER: Hill RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5920745 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature