Demyelination induces transport of ribosome-containing vesicles from glia to axons: evidence from animal models and MS patient brains.
Glial cells were previously proven capable of trafficking polyribosomes to injured axons. However, the occurrence of such transfer in the general pathological context, such as demyelination-related diseases, needs further evidence. Since this may be a yet unidentified universal contributor to axonal survival, we study putative glia-axonal ribosome transport in response to demyelination in animal models and patients in both peripheral and central nervous system. In the PNS we investigate whether demyelination in a rodent model has the potential to induce ribosome transfer. We also probe the glia-axonal ribosome supply by implantation of transgenic Schwann cells engineered to produce fluorescent ribosomes in the same demyelination model. We furthermore examine the presence of axonal ribosomes in mouse experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a well-established model for multiple sclerosis (MS), and in human MS autopsy brain material. We provide evidence for increased axonal ribosome content in a pharmacologically demyelinated sciatic nerve, and demonstrate that at least part of these ribosomes originate in the transgenic Schwann cells. In the CNS one of the hallmarks of MS is demyelination, which is associated with severe disruption of oligodendrocyte-axon interaction. Here, we provide evidence that axons from spinal cords of EAE mice, and in the MS human brain contain an elevated amount of axonal ribosomes compared to controls. Our data provide evidence that increased axonal ribosome content in pathological axons is at least partly due to glia-to-axon transfer of ribosomes, and that demyelination in the PNS and in the CNS is one of the triggers capable to initiate this process.
Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
Antos
A
Shakhbazau
Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Centre, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, De Boelenlaan 1108, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. g.schenk@vumc.nl.
Geert J
GJ
Schenk
Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
Curtis
C
Hay
Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
Jean
J
Kawasoe
Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Centre, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, De Boelenlaan 1108, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Roel
R
Klaver
Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
V Wee
VW
Yong
Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, VU University Medical Centre, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, De Boelenlaan 1108, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Jeroen J G
JJ
Geurts
Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
Jan
J
van Minnen
D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D021381:Protein Transport; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000473:pathology; D022161:Transport Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism*
Demyelination; EAE; GFP; Multiple sclerosis; Ribosome; Schwann cell; Vesicle