The Role Of A Type Lamins In Regulating Myelination

• Main Author: DeLoyht, Jacqueline M
• Format: Others
• Published: VCU Scholars Compass 2018
• Subjects: Multiple sclerosis; oligodendrocyte; LMNA; Lamins; Lamin A; Nervous System
• Online Access: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/5388; https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6501&context=etd

Multiple sclerosis (MS), a demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system (CNS), affects approximately 400,000 individuals in the United States, and 2.5 million people worldwide. It is a leading cause of disability in young adults. Current treatments for MS target the inflammatory aspects of the disease, but do not aid in remyelination. To address remyelination as a therapeutic strategy, it is imperative to identify mechanisms that regulate myelin formation, including epigenetic targets. In this study, we investigate the role of the LMNA, a gene encoding Lamins A and C, intermediate filaments of the nuclear lamina, in regulating oligodendrocyte development and myelination in the CNS. Using electron microscopic analyses, I examined levels of heterochromatin and its distribution in the oligodendrocyte nucleus as an indicator of gene expression, oligodendrocyte maturity, and myelin formation in the absence of A type lamins.. While overall levels of heterochromatin in oligodendrocytes were not altered in the absence of A type lamins, peripherally located heterochromatin was reduced and thinner myelin was observed in the spinal cord. My observations present novel findings for the role of LMNA in oligodendrocytes and myelination.