Activity-dependent myelination modulates neuron conduction velocity and as such it is essential for a correct wiring of a whole nervous system. Increasing myelination through inducing neuron activity has been proposed as a treatment strategy for demyelination diseases. Yet, the mechanisms and the effects of activity-dependent myelination remain elusive—new tools are needed. In this chapter, we describe a novel compartmentalized device integrated with an optogenetic stimulator for studying activity-dependent myelination in vitro. The platform can be modified to include multiple cell types, stimulation modes, and experimental readouts to answer a specific research question. This versatility combined with a precise control over spatial extent of the stimulation and the stimulation pattern make the proposed platform a valuable tool for molecular myelination studies.
CITATION STYLE
Blasiak, A., Nag, S., & Yang, I. H. (2018). Subcellular optogenetic stimulation platform for studying activity-dependent axon myelination in vitro. In Methods in Molecular Biology (Vol. 1791, pp. 207–224). Humana Press Inc. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7862-5_16
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