Oligodendrocytes and axon interaction

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The myelin sheath is one of the most abundant membrane structures in the vertebrate nervous sys-tem. It is produced by two types of specialized glial cells, oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system, and Schwann-cells in the peripheral nervous system. Cell adhesion plays a key role in the formation of myelin. Not only the specific interaction of the glial cell with the axon, but also the adhesive interactions of the individual layers of myelin membrane are essential for the generation of the multilamellar myelin sheath. Whereas many of the axonal signals that regulate myelination in the PNS are known, the factors that control myelination of axons in the CNS by oligodendrocytes have not been identified. Oligodendrocytes seem to require unique and so far unidentified molecules for axon and oligodendrocyte interaction. The goal of this project is therefore to elucidate the mechanisms governing the onset and progression of myelination in the CNS. We plan to identify novel adhesion molecules that mediate oligodendrocyte and axon interaction. We will use a proteome approach to identify candidate molecules, expression cloning to determine the interaction partners and perform functional assays in a neuron and oligodendrodyte co-culture system. In addition, we aim at identifying the mechanism underlying the adhesive interactions of the individual layers of myelin membrane.