Scientific Seminar: The fine art of regulating myelin growth in vivo – insights from zebrafish

Precise myelination is crucial for nerve conduction and neural circuit function, but what determines how much myelin sheaths grow along axons remains poorly understood. Using the genetic tractability and imaging power of the fast-developing zebrafish vertebrate model, we can observe myelin formation and growth in vivo in real time, and interrogate the underlying molecular mechanisms. I will present data on both intrinsic and external factors that control myelination along individual axons or individual oligodendrocytes, and discuss novel tools to deepen our molecular understanding of myelinated axons in vivo.