title: Subcellular Optogenetic Stimulation for Activity-Dependent Myelination of Axons in a Novel Microfluidic Compartmentalized Platform.
abstract: Myelination is governed by neuron-glia communication, which in turn is modulated by neural activity. The exact mechanisms remain elusive. We developed a novel in vitro optogenetic stimulation platform that facilitates subcellular activity induction in hundreds of neurons simultaneously. The light isolation was achieved by creating a biocompatible, light-absorbent, black microfluidic device integrated with a programmable, high-power LED array. The system was applied to a compartmentalized culture of primary neurons whose distal axons were interacting with oligodendrocyte precursor cells. Neural activity was induced along whole neurons or was constrained to cell bodies with proximal axons or distal axons only. All three modes of stimulation promoted oligodendrocyte differentiation and the myelination of axons as evidenced by a decrease in the number of oligodendrocyte precursor cells followed by increases in the number of mature oligodendrocytes and myelin sheath fragments. These results demonstrated the potential of our novel optogenetic stimulation system for the global and focal induction of neural activity in vitro for studying axon myelination.
authors: Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology, National University of Singapore , Singapore 119077.
authors: Hae Ung
authors: HU
authors: Lee
authors: Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology, National University of Singapore , Singapore 119077.
authors: Sudip
authors: S
authors: Nag
authors: Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology, National University of Singapore , Singapore 119077.
authors: Agata
authors: A
authors: Blasiak
authors: Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology, National University of Singapore , Singapore 119077.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Jin
authors: Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology, National University of Singapore , Singapore 119077.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.
authors: Nitish
authors: N
authors: Thakor
authors: Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology, National University of Singapore , Singapore 119077.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States.
authors: In Hong
authors: IH
authors: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004867:Equipment Design; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000378:metabolism; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000235:genetics; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D044085:Microfluidics; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000378:metabolism*; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D062308:Optogenetics; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D012243:Rhodopsin; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2
keywords: Optogenetic stimulation; black PDMS; microfluidics; myelination; oligodendrocytes