title: Hypothesis of an energetic function for myelin.
abstract: Nervous system is a great oxygen consumer, but the site of oxygen absorption has remained elusive. Four proteomic studies have shown that the respiratory complexes I to V may be expressed in isolated myelin. Myelin is an outgrowth of glial cells, surrounding many axons in multiple spires both in peripheral and central nervous system. Recent quantitative analyses strongly support the daring hypothesis that myelin is functional in aerobic ATP production, to supply the neuron with chemical energy. A vision of myelin sheath as a structure devoted to the oxygen absorbance for glucose combustion in nervous system thank to its enormous surface, would be also supported by an impressive series of characteristics and properties of myelin that do not presently find an explanation, all of which are herein examined.
authors: Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV-3, 16132 Genoa, Italy. morellia@unige.it
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Morelli
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Ravera
authors: Isabella
authors: I
authors: Panfoli
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D025261:Mitochondrial Proton-Translocating ATPases / Q000032:analysis; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000378:metabolism*; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation
chemical_list: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; C474451:F1F0-ATP synthase; D025261:Mitochondrial Proton-Translocating ATPases; D010100:Oxygen