Abstract
The myelin sheath is a multilamellar membrane system which surrounds axons in vertebrates and provides the electrical insulation necessary for saltatory nerve impulse conduction. Myelin forms from its cell of origin as a flattened, membrane-bound cytoplasmic process which wraps spirally around the axon; a periodic compact array of membrane pairs is produced from the wrappings as the cytoplasmic contents are extruded, and the external surfaces of membranes become apposed1,2. Neurological mutant mice which show myelin abnormalities are useful models for examining the formation, stability and breakdown of myelin. For example, the shiverer mouse carries an autosomal recessive mutation3 (shi)4 that results in severe myelin deficiency in the central nervous system (CNS)5,6, apparently due to a defect in myelin formation5,6. The small amount of myelin that does form in the CNS is generally not compacted at its cytoplasmic surfaces6, possibly due to the low level of basic protein in shiverer CNS tissue7. In the peripheral nervous system (PNS), in contrast, amounts of compact myelin seem to be normal6. The coarse tremor and convulsions that begin at about 2 weeks of age in the shiverer are presumably due to the severe CNS deficiency of myelin, as similar neurological signs are shown by other mutants with reduced CNS myelin8. Most studies on such mutants have concentrated on those regions of the nervous system which are grossly deficient in myelin5–10. In the other regions myelin seems by light microscopy to be normal. At the ultrastructural and molecular level, however, this myelin sometimes shows abnormalities11–14, and this has prompted us to examine intensively such myelin in several neurological mutants. For this we have used X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). We report here that, of the mutants we have examined so far, the shiverer mouse is unique in showing a striking alteration in myelin protein composition that does not significantly affect the gross morphology and lamellar organisation of the myelin sheath. Our results thus question the proposed role of basic proteins15–19 in myelin as ‘structural cement’.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Geren, B. B. Expl Cell Res. 7, 558–562 (1954).
Peters, A. D. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 8, 431–446 (1960).
Biddle, F., March, E. & Miller, J. R. Mouse News Lett. 48, 24 (1973).
Chernoff, G., March, E. & Miller, J. R. Mouse News Lett. 51, 12 (1974).
Bird, T. D., Farrell, D. F. & Sumi, S. M. J. Neurochem. 31, 387–391 (1978).
Privat, A., Jacque, C., Bourre, J. M., Dupouey, P. & Baumann, N. Neurosci. Lett. 12, 107–112 (1979).
Dupouey, P. et al. Neurosci. Lett. 12, 113–118 (1979).
Sidman, R. L., Dickie, M. M. & Appel, S. H. Science 144, 309–311 (1964).
Meier, H. & MacPike, A. D. Expl Brain Res. 10, 512–525 (1970).
Ayers, M. M. & Anderson, R. McD. Acta neuropath. 25, 54–70 (1973).
Samorajski, T., Friede, R. L. & Reimer, P. R. J. Neuropath. exp. Neurol. 29, 507–523 (1970).
Kirschner, D. A. & Sidman, R. L. Biochim. biophys. Acta 448, 73–87 (1976).
Kishimoto, Y. J. Neurochem. 18, 1365–1368 (1971).
Friedrich, V. L. & Hauser, G. J. Neurochem. 20, 1131–1141 (1973).
Carnegie, P. R. & Dunkley, P. R. in Advances in Neurochemistry Vol. 1 (eds Agranoff, B. W. & Aprison, M. H.) 95–135 (Plenum, New York, 1975).
Chapman, B. E., Littlemore, L. T. & Moore, W. J. in Myelination and Demyelination (ed. Palo, J.) 207–220 (Plenum, New York, 1978).
Braun, P. in Myelin (ed. Morell, P.) 91–115 (Plenum, New York, 1977).
Boggs, J. M. & Moscarello, M. A. Biochim. biophys. Acta 515, 1–21 (1978).
Rumsby, M. G. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 6, 448–462 (1978).
Maizel, J. V. in Methods in Virology Vol. 5 (eds Maramorosch, K. & Koprowski, H.) 179–246 (Academic, New York, 1971).
Brostoff, S. W. & Eylar, E. H. Archs Biochem. Biophys. 153, 590–598 (1972).
Umezawa, H. Meth. Enzym. 45, part B, 678–695 (1976).
Vydra, F. & Kopanica, M. Chemist Analyst 52, 88–94 (1963).
Farney, D. E. & Gold, A. M. J. Am. chem. Soc. 85, 997–1000 (1963).
Cohen, S. R., McKhann, G. M. & Guarnieri, M. J. Neurochem. 25, 371–376 (1975).
Dunkley, P. R. & Carnegie, P. R. in Research Methods in Neurochemistry Vol. 2 (eds Marks, N. & Rodnight, R.) 219–245 (Plenum, New York, 1974).
Carnegie, P. R. Nature 229, 25–28 (1971).
Eylar, E. H. & Thompson, M. Archs Biochem. Biophys. 129, 468–479 (1969).
Rumsby, M. G. & Crang, A. J. in The Synthesis, Assembly and Turnover of Cell Surface Components (eds Poste, G. & Nicolson, G. L.) 247–362 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1977).
Mateu, L. et al. J. molec. Biol. 75, 697–709 (1973).
Demel, R. A., London, Y., Geurts van Kessel, W. S. M., Vosseberg, F. G. A. & van Deenen, L. L. M. Biochim. biophys. Acta 311, 507–519 (1973).
Eylar, E. H., Brostoff, S., Hashim, G., Caccam, J. & Burnett, P. J. biol. Chem. 246, 5770–5784 (1971).
Brostoff, S. W., Karkhanis, Y. D., Carlo, D. J., Reuter, W. & Eylar, E. H. Brain Res. 86, 449–458 (1975).
Braun, P. E. & Brostoff, S. W. in Myelin (ed. Morell, P.) 201–231 (Plenum, New York, 1977).
Greenfield, S., Brostoff, S., Eylar, E. H. & Morell, P. J. Neurochem. 20, 1207–1216 (1973).
Ganser, A. L. & Kirschner, D. A. Trans. Am. Soc. Neurochem. 10, 177 (1979).
Blaurock, A. E. J. molec. Biol. 56, 35–52 (1971).
Caspar, D. L. D. & Kirschner, D. A. Nature new Biol. 231, 46–52 (1971).
Deibler, G. E., Martenson, R. E. & Kies, M. W. Prep. Biochem. 2, 139–165 (1972).
Kitamura, K., Yamanaka, T. & Uyemura, K. Biochim. biophys. Acta 379, 582–591 (1975).
Wiggins, R. C., Benjamins, J. A. & Morell, P. Brain Res. 89, 99–106 (1975).
Deibler, G. E., Driscoll, B. F. & Kies, M. W. J. Neurochem. 30, 401–412 (1978).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kirschner, D., Ganser, A. Compact myelin exists in the absence of basic protein in the shiverer mutant mouse. Nature 283, 207–210 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/283207a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/283207a0
This article is cited by
-
Locomotor recovery following contusive spinal cord injury does not require oligodendrocyte remyelination
Nature Communications (2018)
-
The Role of Peripheral Myelin Protein 2 in Remyelination
Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology (2018)
-
High resolution neurochemical gold staining method for myelin in peripheral and central nervous system at the light- and electron-microscopic level
Cell and Tissue Research (2009)
-
Myelin Structure and Composition in Zebrafish
Neurochemical Research (2007)
-
Microstructural analysis of the effects of incorporation of myelin basic protein in phospholipid layers
European Biophysics Journal (2005)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.