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The number of Schmidt-Lanterman incisures is more than doubled inshiverer PNS myelin sheaths

  • Published:
Journal of Neurocytology

Summary

In the PNS, myelin basic protein (MBP) appears not to be essential for myelination, for inshiverer (shi) andmld mutant mice peripheral nerves, where MBP is not or only poorly expressed, myelination occurs normally. Only a few morphological abnormalities, i.e. reduction in axon calibre and myelin sheath thickness, and aberrant Schwann cell-axon contacts, have been reported. Here, we document a consistent difference betweenshi andwild type (wt) myelinated sciatic nerve fibres. The number of Schmidt-Lanterman incisures seen in longitudinally and transversely-sectioned sciatic nerves, or in teased fibres stained for the presence of F-actin, is dramatically increased in homozygousshi mice. With both methods, a twofold increase in Schmidt-Lanterman incisure number is seen in 15-day-old mice, the earliest time examined. The increase is slightly greater in nerve fibres from 30- and 90-day-old mice. The overproduction of Schmidt-Lanterman incisures inshi occurs in spite of the fact that the mean diameter of myelinated fibres inshi sciatic nerves is smaller than inwt sciatic nerves. These results lead us to suggest that the increase in Schmidt-Lanterman incisure density inshi compensates for a defect in Schwann cell-axon communication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Membrane Biology, N.Y.S. Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA

    Robert M. Gould

  2. Department of Neurology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA

    Anne L. Byrd & Elisa Barbarese

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  1. Robert M. Gould
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  2. Anne L. Byrd
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  3. Elisa Barbarese
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Gould, R.M., Byrd, A.L. & Barbarese, E. The number of Schmidt-Lanterman incisures is more than doubled inshiverer PNS myelin sheaths. J Neurocytol 24, 85–98 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01181552

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01181552

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