Limited TCF7L2 expression in MS lesions

Exploring the effects of embryonic and neonatal exposure to lipopolysaccharides on oligodendrocyte differentiation in the rat hippocampus and the protective effect of alpha-glycosyl isoquercitrin

This study compared the effects of embryonic and neonatal lipopolysaccharides (LPS) exposure (E-LPS and N-LPS) on oligodendrocyte (OL) differentiation in the hippocampus of male rats and explored the protective effect of the antioxidant alpha-glycosyl isoquercitrin (AGIQ). Using SD rats, LPS exposure occurred either intraperitoneally in dams between gestational days 15 and 16 (50 µg/kg body weight/time) or in male pups on postnatal day (PND) 3 (1 mg/kg body weight). Under both regimens, AGIQ at 0.5% (w/w) was supplemented, to dams from the gestation period (before LPS exposure) until weaning on PND 21 and to male offspring from weaning until PND 77 (adulthood). Compared with a control treatment, E-LPS treatment resulted in fewer NG2+ OL progenitor cells (OPCs) and an upregulation of Tcf4 at PND 6; by PND 21, low NG2+ OPC number persisted, but OLIG2+ OL lineage cells increased, while CNPase+ mature OLs counts were unchanged. By contrast, N-LPS treatment resulted in fewer OLIG2+ cells and an upregulation of Bmp4 at PND 6; by PND 21, NG2+ OPCs decreased, while GFAP+ astrocytes increased at both PND 6 and 21. After N-LPS treatment, Kl and Yy1 were downregulated and there were fewer Klotho+ and CNPase+ cells at PND 21. Results suggest that E-LPS treatment facilitates OPC differentiation into pre- and immature OLs until weaning, while N-LPS treatment suppresses OPC differentiation into mature OLs but facilitates astrocyte generation; however, these changes spontaneously recovered by adulthood under both regimens. AGIQ treatment ameliorated the effects of LPS treatment of both regimens, suggesting that LPS-induced disruption of OPC/OL differentiation occurs via neuroinflammation.

Inflammation in multiple sclerosis: consequences for remyelination and disease progression

Despite the large number of immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive treatments available to treat relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), treatment of the progressive phase of the disease has not yet been achieved. This lack of successful treatment approaches is caused by our poor understanding of the mechanisms driving disease progression. Emerging concepts suggest that a combination of persisting focal and diffuse inflammation within the CNS and a gradual failure of compensatory mechanisms, including remyelination, result in disease progression. Therefore, promotion of remyelination presents a promising intervention approach. However, despite our increasing knowledge regarding the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating remyelination in animal models, therapeutic increases in remyelination remain an unmet need in MS, which suggests that mechanisms of remyelination and remyelination failure differ fundamentally between humans and demyelinating animal models. New and emerging technologies now allow us to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying remyelination failure in human tissue samples in an unprecedented way. The aim of this Review is to summarize our current knowledge regarding mechanisms of remyelination and remyelination failure in MS and in animal models of the disease, identify open questions, challenge existing concepts, and discuss strategies to overcome the translational roadblock in the field of remyelination-promoting therapies.

TCF7l2, a nuclear marker that labels premyelinating oligodendrocytes and promotes oligodendroglial lineage progression

Clinical and basic neuroscience research is greatly benefited from the identification and characterization of lineage specific and developmental stage-specific markers. In the glial research community, histological markers that specifically label newly differentiated premyelinating oligodendrocytes are still scarce. Premyelinating oligodendrocyte markers, especially those of nuclear localization, enable researchers to easily quantify the rate of oligodendrocyte generation regardless of developmental ages. We propose that the transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7l2, mouse gene symbol Tcf7l2) is a useful nuclear marker that specifically labels newly generated premyelinating oligodendrocytes and promotes oligodendroglial lineage progression. Here, we highlight the controversial research history of TCF7l2 expression and function in oligodendroglial field and discuss previous experimental data justifying TCF7l2 as a specific nuclear marker for premyelinating oligodendrocytes during developmental myelination and remyelination. We conclude that TCF7l2 can be used alone or combined with pan-oligodendroglial lineage markers to identify newly differentiated or newly regenerated oligodendrocytes and quantify the rate of oligodendrocyte generation.

Divergent transcriptional regulation of astrocyte reactivity across disorders

Astrocytes respond to injury and disease in the central nervous system with reactive changes that influence the outcome of the disorder1-4. These changes include differentially expressed genes (DEGs) whose contextual diversity and regulation are poorly understood. Here we combined biological and informatic analyses, including RNA sequencing, protein detection, assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) and conditional gene deletion, to predict transcriptional regulators that differentially control more than 12,000 DEGs that are potentially associated with astrocyte reactivity across diverse central nervous system disorders in mice and humans. DEGs associated with astrocyte reactivity exhibited pronounced heterogeneity across disorders. Transcriptional regulators also exhibited disorder-specific differences, but a core group of 61 transcriptional regulators was identified as common across multiple disorders in both species. We show experimentally that DEG diversity is determined by combinatorial, context-specific interactions between transcriptional regulators. Notably, the same reactivity transcriptional regulators can regulate markedly different DEG cohorts in different disorders; changes in the access of transcriptional regulators to DNA-binding motifs differ markedly across disorders; and DEG changes can crucially require multiple reactivity transcriptional regulators. We show that, by modulating reactivity, transcriptional regulators can substantially alter disorder outcome, implicating them as therapeutic targets. We provide searchable resources of disorder-related reactive astrocyte DEGs and their predicted transcriptional regulators. Our findings show that transcriptional changes associated with astrocyte reactivity are highly heterogeneous and are customized from vast numbers of potential DEGs through context-specific combinatorial transcriptional-regulator interactions.

Intrauterine growth restriction followed by oxygen support uniquely interferes with genetic regulators of myelination

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and oxygen exposure in isolation and combination adversely affect the developing brain, putting infants at risk for neurodevelopmental disability including cerebral palsy. Rodent models of IUGR and postnatal hyperoxia have demonstrated oligodendroglial injury with subsequent white matter injury (WMI) and motor dysfunction. Here we investigate transcriptomic dysregulation in IUGR with and without hyperoxia exposure to account for the abnormal brain structure and function previously documented. We performed RNA sequencing and analysis using a mouse model of IUGR and found that IUGR, hyperoxia, and the combination of IUGR with hyperoxia (IUGR/hyperoxia) produced distinct changes in gene expression. IUGR in isolation demonstrated the fewest differentially expressed genes compared to control. In contrast, we detected several gene alterations in IUGR/hyperoxia; genes involved in myelination were strikingly downregulated. We also identified changes to specific regulators including TCF7L2, BDNF, SOX2, and DGCR8, through Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, that may contribute to impaired myelination in IUGR/hyperoxia. Our findings show that IUGR with hyperoxia induces unique transcriptional changes in the developing brain. These indicate mechanisms for increased risk for WMI in IUGR infants exposed to oxygen and suggest potential therapeutic targets to improve motor outcomes.Significance StatementThis study demonstrates that perinatal exposures of IUGR and/or postnatal hyperoxia result in distinct transcriptomic changes in the developing brain. In particular, we found that genes involved in normal developmental myelination, myelin maintenance, and remyelination were most dysregulated when IUGR was combined with hyperoxia. Understanding how multiple risk factors lead to WMI is the first step in developing future therapeutic interventions. Additionally, because oxygen exposure is often unavoidable after birth, an understanding of gene perturbations in this setting will increase our awareness of the need for tight control of oxygen use to minimize future motor disability.

Myelin and axon pathology in multiple sclerosis assessed by myelin water and multi-shell diffusion imaging

Damage to the myelin sheath and the neuroaxonal unit is a cardinal feature of multiple sclerosis; however, a detailed characterization of the interaction between myelin and axon damage in vivo remains challenging. We applied myelin water and multi-shell diffusion imaging to quantify the relative damage to myelin and axons (i) among different lesion types; (ii) in normal-appearing tissue; and (iii) across multiple sclerosis clinical subtypes and healthy controls. We also assessed the relation of focal myelin/axon damage with disability and serum neurofilament light chain as a global biological measure of neuroaxonal damage. Ninety-one multiple sclerosis patients (62 relapsing-remitting, 29 progressive) and 72 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Differences in myelin water fraction and neurite density index were substantial when lesions were compared to healthy control subjects and normal-appearing multiple sclerosis tissue: both white matter and cortical lesions exhibited a decreased myelin water fraction and neurite density index compared with healthy (P < 0.0001) and peri-plaque white matter (P < 0.0001). Periventricular lesions showed decreased myelin water fraction and neurite density index compared with lesions in the juxtacortical region (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.05). Similarly, lesions with paramagnetic rims showed decreased myelin water fraction and neurite density index relative to lesions without a rim (P < 0.0001). Also, in 75% of white matter lesions, the reduction in neurite density index was higher than the reduction in the myelin water fraction. Besides, normal-appearing white and grey matter revealed diffuse reduction of myelin water fraction and neurite density index in multiple sclerosis compared to healthy controls (P < 0.01). Further, a more extensive reduction in myelin water fraction and neurite density index in normal-appearing cortex was observed in progressive versus relapsing-remitting participants. Neurite density index in white matter lesions correlated with disability in patients with clinical deficits (P < 0.01, beta = -10.00); and neurite density index and myelin water fraction in white matter lesions were associated to serum neurofilament light chain in the entire patient cohort (P < 0.01, beta = -3.60 and P < 0.01, beta = 0.13, respectively). These findings suggest that (i) myelin and axon pathology in multiple sclerosis is extensive in both lesions and normal-appearing tissue; (ii) particular types of lesions exhibit more damage to myelin and axons than others; (iii) progressive patients differ from relapsing-remitting patients because of more extensive axon/myelin damage in the cortex; and (iv) myelin and axon pathology in lesions is related to disability in patients with clinical deficits and global measures of neuroaxonal damage.

Regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and organoid morphogenesis by a novel TGFβ-TCF7L2 isoform-specific signaling pathway

Alternative splicing contributes to diversification of gene function, yet consequences of splicing on functions of specific gene products is poorly understood. The major transcription factor TCF7L2 undergoes alternative splicing but the biological significance of TCF7L2 isoforms has remained largely to be elucidated. Here, we find that the TCF7L2 E-isoforms maintain, whereas the M and S isoforms disrupt morphogenesis of 3D-epithelial cell-derived organoids via regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Remarkably, TCF7L2E2 antagonizes, whereas TCF7L2M2/S2 promotes EMT-like effects in epithelial cells induced by transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling. In addition, we find TGFβ signaling reduces the proportion of TCF7L2E to TCF7L2M/S protein in cells undergoing EMT. We also find that TCF7L2 operates via TGFβ-Smad3 signaling to regulate EMT. Collectively, our findings unveil novel isoform-specific functions for the major transcription factor TCF7L2 and provide novel links between TCF7L2 and TGFβ signaling in the control of EMT-like responses and epithelial tissue morphogenesis.

R-Ras GTPases Signaling Role in Myelin Neurodegenerative Diseases

Myelination is required for fast and efficient synaptic transmission in vertebrates. In the central nervous system, oligodendrocytes are responsible for creating myelin sheaths that isolate and protect axons, even throughout adulthood. However, when myelin is lost, the failure of remyelination mechanisms can cause neurodegenerative myelin-associated pathologies. From oligodendrocyte progenitor cells to mature myelinating oligodendrocytes, myelination is a highly complex process that involves many elements of cellular signaling, yet many of the mechanisms that coordinate it, remain unknown. In this review, we will focus on the three major pathways involved in myelination (PI3K/Akt/mTOR, ERK1/2-MAPK, and Wnt/β-catenin) and recent advances describing the crosstalk elements which help to regulate them. In addition, we will review the tight relation between Ras GTPases and myelination processes and discuss its potential as novel elements of crosstalk between the pathways. A better understanding of the crosstalk elements orchestrating myelination mechanisms is essential to identify new potential targets to mitigate neurodegeneration.

A Systematic Review of WNT Signaling in Endothelial Cell Oligodendrocyte Interactions: Potential Relevance to Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

Key pathological features of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) include impairment of the blood brain barrier (BBB) and the progression of white matter lesions (WMLs) amongst other structural lesions, leading to the clinical manifestations of cSVD. The function of endothelial cells (ECs) is of major importance to maintain a proper BBB. ECs interact with several cell types to provide structural and functional support to the brain. Oligodendrocytes (OLs) myelinate axons in the central nervous system and are crucial in sustaining the integrity of white matter. The interplay between ECs and OLs and their precursor cells (OPCs) has received limited attention yet seems of relevance for the study of BBB dysfunction and white matter injury in cSVD. Emerging evidence shows a crosstalk between ECs and OPCs/OLs, mediated by signaling through the Wingless and Int-1 (WNT)/β-catenin pathway. As the latter is involved in EC function (e.g., angiogenesis) and oligodendrogenesis, we reviewed the role of WNT/β-catenin signaling for both cell types and performed a systematic search to identify studies describing a WNT-mediated interplay between ECs and OPCs/OLs. Dysregulation of this interaction may limit remyelination of WMLs and render the BBB leaky, thereby initiating a vicious neuroinflammatory cycle. A better understanding of the role of this signaling pathway in EC-OL crosstalk is essential in understanding cSVD development.

Developmental trajectory of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in the human brain revealed by single cell RNA sequencing

Characterizing the developmental trajectory of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPC) is of great interest given the importance of these cells in the remyelination process. However, studies of human OPC development remain limited by the availability of whole cell samples and material that encompasses a wide age range, including time of peak myelination. In this study, we apply single cell RNA sequencing to viable whole cells across the age span and link transcriptomic signatures of oligodendrocyte-lineage cells with stage-specific functional properties. Cells were isolated from surgical tissue samples of second-trimester fetal, 2-year-old pediatric, 13-year-old adolescent, and adult donors by mechanical and enzymatic digestion, followed by percoll gradient centrifugation. Gene expression was analyzed using droplet-based RNA sequencing (10X Chromium). Louvain clustering analysis identified three distinct cellular subpopulations based on 5,613 genes, comprised of an early OPC (e-OPC) group, a late OPC group (l-OPC), and a mature OL (MOL) group. Gene ontology terms enriched for e-OPCs included cell cycle and development, for l-OPCs included extracellular matrix and cell adhesion, and for MOLs included myelination and cytoskeleton. The e-OPCs were mostly confined to the premyelinating fetal group, and the l-OPCs were most highly represented in the pediatric age group, corresponding to the peak age of myelination. Cells expressing a signature characteristic of l-OPCs were identified in the adult brain in situ using RNAScope. These findings highlight the transcriptomic variability in OL-lineage cells before, during, and after peak myelination and contribute to identifying novel pathways required to achieve remyelination.

Co-Ultramicronized Palmitoylethanolamide/Luteolin Facilitates the Development of Differentiating and Undifferentiated Rat Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells

Oligodendrocytes, the myelin-producing cells of the central nervous system (CNS), have limited capability to bring about repair in chronic CNS neuroinflammatory demyelinating disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS). MS lesions are characterized by a compromised pool of undifferentiated oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) unable to mature into myelin-producing oligodendrocytes. An attractive strategy may be to replace lost OLs and/or promote their maturation. N-palmitoylethanolamine (PEA) is an endogenous fatty acid amide signaling molecule with anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective actions. Recent studies show a co-ultramicronized composite of PEA and the flavonoid luteolin (co-ultraPEALut) to be more efficacious than PEA in improving outcome in CNS injury models. Here, we examined the effects of co-ultraPEALut on development of OPCs from newborn rat cortex cultured under conditions favoring either differentiation (Sato medium) or proliferation (fibroblast growth factor-2 and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA-supplemented serum-free medium ("SFM")). OPCs in SFM displayed high expression of PDGF receptor alpha gene and the proliferation marker Ki-67. In Sato medium, in contrast, OPCs showed rapid decreases in PDGF receptor alpha and Ki-67 expression with a concomitant rise in myelin basic protein (MBP) expression. In these conditions, co-ultraPEALut (10 μM) enhanced OPC morphological complexity and expression of MBP and the transcription factor TCF7l2. Surprisingly, co-ultraPEALut also up-regulated MBP mRNA expression in OPCs in SFM. MBP expression in all cases was sensitive to inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin. Within the context of strategies to promote endogenous remyelination in MS which focus on enhancing long-term survival of OPCs and stimulating their differentiation into remyelinating oligodendrocytes, co-ultraPEALut may represent a novel pharmacological approach.

Role of Dopamine D2 Receptor in Stress-Induced Myelin Loss

Dopaminergic systems play a major role in reward-related behavior and dysregulation of dopamine (DA) systems can cause several mental disorders, including depression. We previously reported that dopamine D2 receptor knockout (D2R^-/-) mice display increased anxiety and depression-like behaviors upon chronic stress. Here, we observed that chronic stress caused myelin loss in wild-type (WT) mice, while the myelin level in D2R^-/- mice, which was already lower than that in WT mice, was not affected upon stress. Fewer mature oligodendrocytes (OLs) were observed in the corpus callosum of stressed WT mice, while in D2R^-/- mice, both the control and stressed group displayed a decrease in the number of mature OLs. We observed a decrease in the number of active β-catenin (ABC)-expressing and TCF4-expressing cells among OL lineage cells in the corpus callosum of stressed WT mice, while such regulation was not found in D2R^-/- mice. Administration of lithium normalized the behavioral impairments and myelin damage induced by chronic stress in WT mice, and restored the number of ABC-positive and TCF4-positive OLs, while such effect was not found in D2R^-/- mice. Together, our findings indicate that chronic stress induces myelin loss through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in association with DA signaling through D2R.

Transcription factor 7 like 2 promotes oligodendrocyte differentiation and remyelination

Transcription factor 7 like 2 (TCF7L2, also termed TCF4), is a Wnt effector induced transiently in the oligodendroglial lineage. The current well accepted hypothesis is that TCF7L2 inhibits oligodendrocyte differentiation and remyelination through canonical Wnt/β‑catenin signaling. However, recent studies indicated that TCF7L2 activity is required during oligodendrocyte differentiation and remyelination. In order to clarify this, in situ hybridization, immunofluorescence and western blot analysis using in vivo TCF7L2 conditional knockout mice, were performed and it was found that TCF7L2 promotes oligodendrocyte differentiation during myelin formation and remyelination. Furthermore, it was established that TCF7L2 does not affect oligodendrocyte precursor cells during remyelination. These data are of important clinical significance to develop novel therapeutic targets to overcome multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases.

Endothelial Wnt/β-catenin signaling reduces immune cell infiltration in multiple sclerosis

Disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a defining and early feature of multiple sclerosis (MS) that directly damages the central nervous system (CNS), promotes immune cell infiltration, and influences clinical outcomes. There is an urgent need for new therapies to protect and restore BBB function, either by strengthening endothelial tight junctions or suppressing endothelial vesicular transcytosis. Although wingless integrated MMTV (Wnt)/β-catenin signaling plays an essential role in BBB formation and maintenance in healthy CNS, its role in BBB repair in neurologic diseases such as MS remains unclear. Using a Wnt/β-catenin reporter mouse and several downstream targets, we demonstrate that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is up-regulated in CNS endothelial cells in both human MS and the mouse model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Increased Wnt/β-catenin activity in CNS blood vessels during EAE progression correlates with up-regulation of neuronal Wnt3 expression, as well as breakdown of endothelial cell junctions. Genetic inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in CNS endothelium before disease onset exacerbates the clinical presentation of EAE, CD4⁺ T-cell infiltration into the CNS, and demyelination by increasing expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and the transcytosis protein Caveolin-1 and promoting endothelial transcytosis. However, Wnt signaling attenuation does not affect the progressive degradation of tight junction proteins or paracellular BBB leakage. These results suggest that reactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in CNS vessels during EAE/MS partially restores functional BBB integrity and limits immune cell infiltration into the CNS.

Dietary cholesterol promotes repair of demyelinated lesions in the adult brain

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder in which remyelination failure contributes to persistent disability. Cholesterol is rate-limiting for myelin biogenesis in the developing CNS; however, whether cholesterol insufficiency contributes to remyelination failure in MS, is unclear. Here, we show the relationship between cholesterol, myelination and neurological parameters in mouse models of demyelination and remyelination. In the cuprizone model, acute disease reduces serum cholesterol levels that can be restored by dietary cholesterol. Concomitant with blood-brain barrier impairment, supplemented cholesterol directly supports oligodendrocyte precursor proliferation and differentiation, and restores the balance of growth factors, creating a permissive environment for repair. This leads to attenuated axon damage, enhanced remyelination and improved motor learning. Remarkably, in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, cholesterol supplementation does not exacerbate disease expression. These findings emphasize the safety of dietary cholesterol in inflammatory diseases and point to a previously unrecognized role of cholesterol in promoting repair after demyelinating episodes.

Cholesterol is important for axonal myelination during development. Here the authors show that cholesterol levels are reduced in a cuprizone mouse model of multiple sclerosis and that dietary cholesterol supplementation enhances remyelination and recovery.

Meta-Analysis of Differential Connectivity in Gene Co-Expression Networks in Multiple Sclerosis

Differential gene expression analyses to investigate multiple sclerosis (MS) molecular pathogenesis cannot detect genes harboring genetic and/or epigenetic modifications that change the gene functions without affecting their expression. Differential co-expression network approaches may capture changes in functional interactions resulting from these alterations. We re-analyzed 595 mRNA arrays from publicly available datasets by studying changes in gene co-expression networks in MS and in response to interferon (IFN)-β treatment. Interestingly, MS networks show a reduced connectivity relative to the healthy condition, and the treatment activates the transcription of genes and increases their connectivity in MS patients. Importantly, the analysis of changes in gene connectivity in MS patients provides new evidence of association for genes already implicated in MS by single-nucleotide polymorphism studies and that do not show differential expression. This is the case of amiloride-sensitive cation channel 1 neuronal (ACCN1) that shows a reduced number of interacting partners in MS networks, and it is known for its role in synaptic transmission and central nervous system (CNS) development. Furthermore, our study confirms a deregulation of the vitamin D system: among the transcription factors that potentially regulate the deregulated genes, we find TCF3 and SP1 that are both involved in vitamin D3-induced p27Kip1 expression. Unveiling differential network properties allows us to gain systems-level insights into disease mechanisms and may suggest putative targets for the treatment.

Dual regulatory switch through interactions of Tcf7l2/Tcf4 with stage-specific partners propels oligodendroglial maturation

Constitutive activation of Wnt/β-catenin inhibits oligodendrocyte myelination. Tcf7l2/Tcf4, a β-catenin transcriptional partner, is required for oligodendrocyte differentiation. How Tcf7l2 modifies β-catenin signalling and controls myelination remains elusive. Here we define a stage-specific Tcf7l2-regulated transcriptional circuitry in initiating and sustaining oligodendrocyte differentiation. Multistage genome occupancy analyses reveal that Tcf7l2 serially cooperates with distinct co-regulators to control oligodendrocyte lineage progression. At the differentiation onset, Tcf7l2 interacts with a transcriptional co-repressor Kaiso/Zbtb33 to block β-catenin signalling. During oligodendrocyte maturation, Tcf7l2 recruits and cooperates with Sox10 to promote myelination. In that context, Tcf7l2 directly activates cholesterol biosynthesis genes and cholesterol supplementation partially rescues oligodendrocyte differentiation defects in Tcf712 mutants. Together, we identify stage-specific co-regulators Kaiso and Sox10 that sequentially interact with Tcf7l2 to coordinate the switch at the transitions of differentiation initiation and maturation during oligodendrocyte development, and point to a previously unrecognized role of Tcf7l2 in control of cholesterol biosynthesis for CNS myelinogenesis.

Intracellular signaling pathway regulation of myelination and remyelination in the CNS

The restoration of myelin sheaths on demyelinated axons remains a major obstacle in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Currently approved therapies work by modulating the immune system to reduce the number and rate of lesion formation but are only partially effective since they are not able to restore lost myelin. In the healthy CNS, myelin continues to be generated throughout life and spontaneous remyelination occurs readily in response to insults. In patients with MS, however, remyelination eventually fails, at least in part as a result of a failure of oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) differentiation and the subsequent production of new myelin. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that drive the process of myelin sheath formation is therefore important in order to speed the development of novel therapeutics designed to target remyelination. Here we review data supporting critical roles for three highly conserved intracellular signaling pathways: Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and ERK/MAPK in the regulation of OPC differentiation and myelination both during development and in remyelination. Potential points of crosstalk between the three pathways and important areas for future research are also discussed.

Intracellular Protein Shuttling: A Mechanism Relevant for Myelin Repair in Multiple Sclerosis?

A prominent feature of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) is the degeneration and loss of previously established functional myelin sheaths, which results in impaired signal propagation and axonal damage. However, at least in early disease stages, partial replacement of lost oligodendrocytes and thus remyelination occur as a result of resident oligodendroglial precursor cell (OPC) activation. These cells represent a widespread cell population within the adult central nervous system (CNS) that can differentiate into functional myelinating glial cells to restore axonal functions. Nevertheless, the spontaneous remyelination capacity in the adult CNS is inefficient because OPCs often fail to generate new oligodendrocytes due to the lack of stimulatory cues and the presence of inhibitory factors. Recent studies have provided evidence that regulated intracellular protein shuttling is functionally involved in oligodendroglial differentiation and remyelination activities. In this review we shed light on the role of the subcellular localization of differentiation-associated factors within oligodendroglial cells and show that regulation of intracellular localization of regulatory factors represents a crucial process to modulate oligodendroglial maturation and myelin repair in the CNS.

The Wnt effector transcription factor 7-like 2 positively regulates oligodendrocyte differentiation in a manner independent of Wnt/β-catenin signaling

Genetic or pharmacological activation of canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibits oligodendrocyte differentiation. Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7l2), also known as TCF4, is a Wnt effector induced transiently in the oligodendroglial lineage. A well accepted dogma is that TCF7l2 inhibits oligodendrocyte differentiation through activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. We report that TCF7l2 is upregulated transiently in postmitotic, newly differentiated oligodendrocytes. Using in vivo gene conditional ablation, we found surprisingly that TCF7l2 positively regulates neonatal and postnatal mouse oligodendrocyte differentiation during developmental myelination and remyelination in a manner independent of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. We also reveal a novel role of TCF7l2 in repressing a bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway that is known to inhibit oligodendrocyte differentiation. Thus, our study provides novel data justifying therapeutic attempts to enhance, rather than inhibit, TCF7l2 signaling to overcome arrested oligodendroglial differentiation in multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases.

TCF7L2 activation is required for myelin regeneration in 5-FU-induced demyelinating mice

Previous studies have shown that 5-FU (5-fluorouracil) could cause delayed myelin degeneration by inducing oligodendrocyte death.