Microtubule-Mediated Myelination, Synthetic MAPs, and Unusual Critical Concentrations

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The Golgi Outpost Protein TPPP Nucleates Microtubules and Is Critical for Myelination

Fu et al. | Bechstedt and Barres Labs | Cell
Oligodendrocytes extend dozens of protrusions that envelop neighboring axons in insulating myelin sheaths. An intriguing population of lamellar microtubules spiral around the myelin sheath and are linked to diseases of hypomyelination, yet the intricacies of this complex microtubule architecture are unknown. In this study, Fu et al. identify TPPP (tubulin polymerization promoting protein) as a critical component of Golgi outposts involved in nucleating microtubules distal to the cell body, an activity that proves critical for myelin elongation. The researchers further leverage TPPP to purify and characterize Golgi outposts from rat brains. Through a combination of biophysical, cell culture, and in vivo experimentation, this study elucidates novel insights into microtubule-mediated myelin deposition that may inform future efforts to regrow myelin destroyed in diseases such as multiple sclerosis. (Read)

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