Clustering of Na(+) channels at the nodes of Ranvier is coordinated by myelinating glia. In the peripheral nervous system, axoglial contact at the nodes is mediated by the binding of gliomedin and glial NrCAM to axonal neurofascin 186 (NF186). This interaction is crucial for the initial clustering of Na(+) channels at heminodes. As a result, it is not clear whether continued axon-glial contact at nodes of Ranvier is required to maintain these channels at the nodal axolemma. Here, we report that, in contrast to mice that lack either gliomedin or NrCAM, absence of both molecules (and hence the glial clustering signal) resulted in a gradual loss of Na(+) channels and other axonal components from the nodes, the formation of binary nodes, and dysregulation of nodal gap length. Therefore, these mice exhibit neurological abnormalities and slower nerve conduction. Disintegration of the nodes occurred in an orderly manner, starting with the disappearance of neurofascin 186, followed by the loss of Na(+) channels and ankyrin G, and then βIV spectrin, a sequence that reflects the assembly of nodes during development. Finally, the absence of gliomedin and NrCAM led to the invasion of the outermost layer of the Schwann cell membrane beyond the nodal area and the formation of paranodal-like junctions at the nodal gap. Our results reveal that axon-glial contact mediated by gliomedin, NrCAM, and NF186 not only plays a role in Na(+) channel clustering during development, but also contributes to the long-term maintenance of Na(+) channels at nodes of Ranvier.

Saltatory conduction requires high-density accumulation of Na(+) channels at the nodes of Ranvier. Nodal Na(+) channel clustering in the peripheral nervous system is regulated by myelinating Schwann cells through unknown mechanisms. During development, Na(+) channels are first clustered at heminodes that border each myelin segment, and later in the mature nodes that are formed by the fusion of two heminodes. Here, we show that initial clustering of Na(+) channels at heminodes requires glial NrCAM and gliomedin, as well as their axonal receptor neurofascin 186 (NF186). We further demonstrate that heminodal clustering coincides with a second, paranodal junction (PNJ)-dependent mechanism that allows Na(+) channels to accumulate at mature nodes by restricting their distribution between two growing myelin internodes. We propose that Schwann cells assemble the nodes of Ranvier by capturing Na(+) channels at heminodes and by constraining their distribution to the nodal gap. Together, these two cooperating mechanisms ensure fast and efficient conduction in myelinated nerves.

A high density of Na+ channels at nodes of Ranvier is necessary for rapid and efficient action potential propagation in myelinated axons. Na+ channel clustering is thought to depend on two axonal cell adhesion molecules that mediate interactions between the axon and myelinating glia at the nodal gap (i.e., NF186) and the paranodal junction (i.e., Caspr). Here we show that while Na+ channels cluster at nodes in the absence of NF186, they fail to do so in double conditional knockout mice lacking both NF186 and the paranodal cell adhesion molecule Caspr, demonstrating that a paranodal junction-dependent mechanism can cluster Na+ channels at nodes. Furthermore, we show that paranode-dependent clustering of nodal Na+ channels requires axonal βII spectrin which is concentrated at paranodes. Our results reveal that the paranodal junction-dependent mechanism of Na+channel clustering is mediated by the spectrin-based paranodal axonal cytoskeleton.