Mammalian-Specific Central Myelin Protein Opalin Is Redundant for Normal Myelination: Structural and Behavioral Assessments

PLoS One. 2016 Nov 17;11(11):e0166732. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166732. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Opalin, a central nervous system-specific myelin protein phylogenetically unique to mammals, has been suggested to play a role in mammalian-specific myelin. To elucidate the role of Opalin in mammalian myelin, we disrupted the Opalin gene in mice and analyzed the impacts on myelination and behavior. Opalin-knockout (Opalin-/-) mice were born at a Mendelian ratio and had a normal body shape and weight. Interestingly, Opalin-/- mice had no obvious abnormalities in major myelin protein compositions, expression of oligodendrocyte lineage markers, or domain organization of myelinated axons compared with WT mice (Opalin+/+) mice. Electron microscopic observation of the optic nerves did not reveal obvious differences between Opalin+/+ and Opalin-/- mice in terms of fine structures of paranodal loops, transverse bands, and multi-lamellae of myelinated axons. Moreover, sensory reflex, circadian rhythm, and locomotor activity in the home cage, as well as depression-like behavior, in the Opalin-/- mice were indistinguishable from the Opalin+/+ mice. Nevertheless, a subtle but significant impact on exploratory activity became apparent in Opalin-/- mice exposed to a novel environment. These results suggest that Opalin is not critical for central nervous system myelination or basic sensory and motor activities under conventional breeding conditions, although it might be required for fine-tuning of exploratory behavior.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Astrocytes / metabolism
  • Axons / metabolism
  • Axons / ultrastructure
  • Behavior, Animal*
  • Body Weight
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Cell Communication
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Exploratory Behavior
  • Immunoblotting
  • Mammals / metabolism*
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Myelin Proteins / deficiency
  • Myelin Proteins / metabolism*
  • Myelin Sheath / metabolism*
  • Myelin Sheath / ultrastructure
  • Oligodendroglia / metabolism
  • Oligodendroglia / pathology
  • Optic Nerve / metabolism
  • Optic Nerve / ultrastructure
  • Phenotype
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • Myelin Proteins
  • Opalin protein, mouse

Grants and funding

This study was supported by Grants (KAKENHI 20300134, 23300137, 26290026, 15K14356) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Hamaguchi Foundation for the Advancement of Biochemistry, and Tokyo University of Science, and the Exchange Program between Tokyo University of Science and the University of Strasbourg.