title: Oligodendrocyte development and CNS myelination are unaffected in a mouse model of severe spinal muscular atrophy.
abstract: The childhood neurodegenerative disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by loss-of-function mutations or deletions in the Survival Motor Neuron 1 (SMN1) gene resulting in insufficient levels of survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. Classically considered a motor neuron disease, increasing evidence now supports SMA as a multi-system disorder with phenotypes discovered in cortical neuron, astrocyte, and Schwann cell function within the nervous system. In this study, we sought to determine whether Smn was critical for oligodendrocyte (OL) development and central nervous system myelination. A mouse model of severe SMA was used to assess OL growth, migration, differentiation and myelination. All aspects of OL development and function studied were unaffected by Smn depletion. The tremendous impact of Smn depletion on a wide variety of other cell types renders the OL response unique. Further investigation of the OLs derived from SMA models may reveal disease modifiers or a compensatory mechanism allowing these cells to flourish despite the reduced levels of this multifunctional protein.
authors.affiliation: Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.|University of Ottawa Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Ryan W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: O'Meara
authors.affiliation: Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.|University of Ottawa Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Cummings
authors.affiliation: Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.|University of Ottawa Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: De Repentigny
authors.affiliation: Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.|University of Ottawa Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McFall
authors.affiliation: Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.|University of Ottawa Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: John-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Michalski
authors.affiliation: Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.|University of Ottawa Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Marc-Olivier
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Deguise
authors.affiliation: Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.|University of Ottawa Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gibeault
authors.affiliation: Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.|University of Ottawa Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Rashmi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kothary
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009134:Muscular Atrophy, Spinal / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000473:pathology; D010641:Phenotype; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000473:pathology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D055533:Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D055540:Survival of Motor Neuron 2 Protein / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C000597152:SMN2 protein, mouse; C526472:Smn1 protein, mouse; D055533:Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein; D055540:Survival of Motor Neuron 2 Protein