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Impulse Conduction Regulates Myelin Basic Protein Phosphorylation in Rat Optic Nerve
Author(s) -
Murray Norman,
Steck Andreas J.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1984.tb06702.x
Subject(s) - impulse (physics) , myelin , optic nerve , phosphorylation , nerve conduction , myelin basic protein , microbiology and biotechnology , neuroscience , myelin sheath , chemistry , biology , medicine , central nervous system , physics , quantum mechanics
The influence of action potential conduction in myelinated axons on the state of phosphorylation of myelin basic protein was studied in rat optic nerve incubated in vitro. For this purpose we used a technique that permits continuous recording of the responses of nerves to electrical stimulation together with the “back‐phosphorylation” assay. Our results indicate that action potential conduction, but not electrical stimulation, increased the state of phosphorylation of myelin basic protein. The increment in basic protein phosphorylation was related to the number of impulses conducted, up to a maximal change which occurred after 12 × 10 3 impulses. Also, the effect of action potential conduction was reversible, since the state of myelin basic protein phosphorylation returned to control levels within 5 min of stopping stimulation. These findings raise the interesting possibility that myelin basic protein phosphorylation plays a role in some dynamic function of myelin, perhaps related to ion transport or to the process of recovery of ionic gradients.