Searching across hundreds of databases

Our searching services are busy right now. Your search will reload in five seconds.

X
Forgot Password

If you have forgotten your password you can enter your email here and get a temporary password sent to your email.

X
Forgot Password

If you have forgotten your password you can enter your email here and get a temporary password sent to your email.

Mechanical Strain Promotes Oligodendrocyte Differentiation by Global Changes of Gene Expression.

Frontiers in cellular neuroscience | 2017

Differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPC) to oligodendrocytes and subsequent axon myelination are critical steps in vertebrate central nervous system (CNS) development and regeneration. Growing evidence supports the significance of mechanical factors in oligodendrocyte biology. Here, we explore the effect of mechanical strains within physiological range on OPC proliferation and differentiation, and strain-associated changes in chromatin structure, epigenetics, and gene expression. Sustained tensile strain of 10-15% inhibited OPC proliferation and promoted differentiation into oligodendrocytes. This response to strain required specific interactions of OPCs with extracellular matrix ligands. Applied strain induced changes in nuclear shape, chromatin organization, and resulted in enhanced histone deacetylation, consistent with increased oligodendrocyte differentiation. This response was concurrent with increased mRNA levels of the epigenetic modifier histone deacetylase Hdac11. Inhibition of HDAC proteins eliminated the strain-mediated increase of OPC differentiation, demonstrating a role of HDACs in mechanotransduction of strain to chromatin. RNA sequencing revealed global changes in gene expression associated with strain. Specifically, expression of multiple genes associated with oligodendrocyte differentiation and axon-oligodendrocyte interactions was increased, including cell surface ligands (Ncam, ephrins), cyto- and nucleo-skeleton genes (Fyn, actinins, myosin, nesprin, Sun1), transcription factors (Sox10, Zfp191, Nkx2.2), and myelin genes (Cnp, Plp, Mag). These findings show how mechanical strain can be transmitted to the nucleus to promote oligodendrocyte differentiation, and identify the global landscape of signaling pathways involved in mechanotransduction. These data provide a source of potential new therapeutic avenues to enhance OPC differentiation in vivo.

Pubmed ID: 28473753 RIS Download

Research resources used in this publication

None found

Antibodies used in this publication

None found

Associated grants

  • Agency: Medical Research Council, United Kingdom
    Id: MC_PC_12009

Publication data is provided by the National Library of Medicine ® and PubMed ®. Data is retrieved from PubMed ® on a weekly schedule. For terms and conditions see the National Library of Medicine Terms and Conditions.

This is a list of tools and resources that we have found mentioned in this publication.


Cytoskeleton (tool)

RRID:SCR_013532

An Antibody supplier

View all literature mentions

OLego (tool)

RRID:SCR_005811

A program specifically designed for de novo spliced mapping of mRNA-seq reads. It adopts a multiple-seed-and-extend scheme, and does not rely on a separate external mapper.

View all literature mentions

Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (tool)

RRID:SCR_008653

A web-based software application that enables users to analyze, integrate, and understand data derived from gene expression, microRNA, and SNP microarrays, metabolomics, proteomics, and RNA-Seq experiments, and small-scale experiments that generate gene and chemical lists. Users can search for targeted information on genes, proteins, chemicals, and drugs, and build interactive models of experimental systems. IPA allows exploration of molecular, chemical, gene, protein and miRNA interactions, creation of custom molecular pathways, and the ability to view and modify metabolic, signaling, and toxicological canonical pathways. In addition to the networks and pathways that can be created, IPA can provide multiple layering of additional information, such as drugs, disease genes, expression data, cellular functions and processes, or a researchers own genes or chemicals of interest.

View all literature mentions

Spotfire (tool)

RRID:SCR_008858

The Spotfire Gene Ontology Advantage Application integrates GO annotations with gene expression analysis in Spotfire DecisionSite for Functional Genomics. Researchers can select a subset of genes in DecisionSite visualizations and display their distribution in the Gene Ontology hierarchy. Similarly, selection of any process, function or cellular location in the Gene Ontology hierarchy automatically marks the corresponding genes in DecisionSite visualizations. Platform: Windows compatible

View all literature mentions

SD (tool)

RRID:RGD_70508

Rattus norvegicus with name SD from RGD.

View all literature mentions