Cytoskeletal transition at the paranodes: the Achilles' heel of myelinated axons.
Myelination organizes axons into distinct domains that allow nerve impulses to propagate in a saltatory manner. The edges of the myelin sheath are sealed at the paranodes by axon-glial junctions that have a crucial role in organizing the axonal cytoskeleton. Here we propose a model in which the myelinated axons depend on the axon-glial junctions to stabilize the cytoskeletal transition at the paranodes. Thus paranodal regions are likely to be particularly susceptible to damage induced by demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Sousa
Aurea D
AD
Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Curriculum in Neurobiology, Neurodevelopmental Disorders Research Center and UNC-Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Bhat
Manzoor A
MA