Oligodendrocyte-encoded Kir4.1 function is required for axonal integrity.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 30204081.
- Also identified by DOI 10.7554/eLife.36428 and PMC identifier 6167053.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Glial support is critical for normal axon function and can become dysregulated in white matter (WM) disease. In humans, loss-of-function mutations of <i>KCNJ10,</i> which encodes the inward-rectifying potassium channel KIR4.1, causes seizures and progressive neurological decline. We investigated Kir4.1 functions in oligodendrocytes (OLs) during development, adulthood and after WM injury. We observed that Kir4.1 channels localized to perinodal areas and the inner myelin tongue, suggesting roles in juxta-axonal K<sup>+</sup> removal. Conditional knockout (cKO) of OL-<i>Kcnj10</i> resulted in late onset mitochondrial damage and axonal degeneration. This was accompanied by neuronal loss and neuro-axonal dysfunction in adult OL-<i>Kcnj10</i> cKO mice as shown by delayed visual evoked potentials, inner retinal thinning and progressive motor deficits. Axon pathologies in OL-<i>Kcnj10</i> cKO were exacerbated after WM injury in the spinal cord. Our findings point towards a critical role of OL-Kir4.1 for long-term maintenance of axonal function and integrity during adulthood and after WM injury.
Medical subject headings
- Axons
- Leukoencephalopathies
- Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying
- Seizures