Development of Oligodendroglia and Myelin.

Abstract

Myelin sheaths formed by oligodendrocytes (OLs) wrap around neuronal axons and allow for saltatory conduction of nerve impulses, significantly increasing the speed of electrical signal transmission. The development of oligodendrocyte lineage consists of several coordinated steps. Briefly, oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) are first generated from neural precursor cells of certain neuroepithelial regions, and then they proliferate and migrate to other regions of the central nervous system (CNS), where they differentiate into oligodendrocytes and form myelin sheaths around the axons of neurons. These developmental processes are tightly and precisely regulated during animal development by a cohort of intracellular molecular and extracellular signals.