QBI Neuroscience Seminar: Myelin plasticity in the adult CNS

Event Details

Date:

Wednesday, 03 September 2014 - Wednesday, 03 September 2014

Time:

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Room:

Auditorium, level 7

UQ Location:

Queensland Brain Institute (St Lucia)

URL:

http://www.qbi.uq.edu.au/neuroscience-seminars

Event category(s):

Full Description:: Speaker: Dr Kaylene Young
Head of Glial Research Team, Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Menzies Research Institute Tasmania

Title:
Myelin plasticity in the adult CNS

Abstract:
It is now widely accepted that the adult central nervous system is a highly plastic structure and can be remodelled at the level of a single synapse or via the integration of newly generated cells. While many of the characterised plasticity mechanisms focus on neuronal plasticity, we have recently determined that oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) are responsible for a previously uncharacterised form of glial plasticity, which we have termed myelin plasticity.

OPCs account for approximately 5% of all cells in the adult CNS, making them the largest proliferating cell population in the mature nervous system. OPCs divide and add new myelinating oligodendrocytes to all regions of the CNS, even regions thought to be fully myelinated during development. The addition of each new internode has the potential to significantly alter conduction velocity - but to what extent is myelin plasticity regulating nervous system function?