Oligodendrocyte

Oligodendrocytes (from the Greek oligos, little ' dendron ' tree ' and zytos, cell ' ) are among the glial cells and are found only in the central nervous system (CNS). They have small, round nuclei with a high proportion of heterochromatin. Your cellular appendages form myelin sheaths of myelin, enveloping the cell processes ( axons) of nerve cells and thus electrically isolate. In contrast to the peripherally occurring Schwann cells, portions of several axons from an isolated oligodendrocytes in the white matter of the central nervous system.

Molecular methods for detecting antibodies specific for oligodendrocytes using myelin basic protein (MBP), the Oligodendrozytenspezifische protein ( OSP new label Claudin -11), cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (CNP ), or proteolipid protein.

Cell membrane

The plasma membrane of cultured oligodendrocytes substance contains neurotransmitter receptors, on the depolarization of the glial cells can be caused. Examples of this are ionotropic glutamate receptors. Oligodendrocytes in this case have similar sensitivity to the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate on how neurons in which low concentration increases already cause receptor-mediated cell death. Striking are membrane-associated growth inhibitors such as myelin -associated glycoprotein ( MAG) and the proteoglycan versican -2. Together with the Glianarben formed by astrocytes they thus represent crucial inhibitors of Neuroregeneration dar.

Cell plasma

In comparison with other glial cells such as astrocytes, oligodendrocytes to be distinguished from them by an electron-dense cytoplasm. There are expressed in addition to typical organelles such as ribosomes, rough endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi apparatus as components of Zytoplasmazytoskeletts especially numerous microtubule filaments. These run in the axons bundled in the cell body without higher-level spatial structure.

Cell contacts

Interzellularkontakte are crucial for the function of oligodendrocytes. The contact surface of myelin to the axon is divided into internodes, Paranodium and Juxtaparanodium, each specializing in particular molecular weight. At the contact surface internodal myelin -associated glycoprotein ( MAG) and nectin -like ( NECL ) proteins are enriched. The Paranodien which limit the nodes of Ranvier, Occludenskontakte are ( Tight junction, macula occludens ) formed. In addition, there are communication contacts ( gap junctions, Nexus ) between oligodendrocytes and other glial cells containing among others connexin -32.

• Neurobiology
• Cell type
• Nervous tissue