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Intrinsic and adaptive myelination—A sequential mechanism for smart wiring in the brain
Author(s) -
Bechler Marie E.,
Swire Matthew,
ffrenchConstant Charles
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
developmental neurobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.716
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1932-846X
pISSN - 1932-8451
DOI - 10.1002/dneu.22518
Subject(s) - neuroscience , biology , myelin , axon , mechanism (biology) , neuroplasticity , central nervous system , physics , quantum mechanics
The concept of adaptive myelination—myelin plasticity regulated by activity—is an important advance for the field. What signals set up the adaptable pattern in the first place? Here we review work that demonstrates an intrinsic pathway within oligodendrocytes requiring only an axon‐shaped substrate to generate multilayered and compacted myelin sheaths of a physiological length. Based on this, we discuss a model we proposed in 2015 which argues that myelination has two phases—intrinsic and then adaptive—which together generate “smart wiring,” in which active axons become more myelinated. This model explains why prior studies have failed to identify a signal necessary for central nervous system myelination and argues that myelination, like synapses, might contribute to learning by the activity‐dependent modification of an initially hard‐wired pattern. © 2017 The Authors. Developmental Neurobiology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 78: 68–79, 2018