Recent evidence in vitro has suggested that Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) may play a role in regulation of oligodendrogliogenesis, and our recent data suggests that BMP signaling in neural tube may be necessary for oligodendrocyte maturation. However, it is unclear whether BMP signaling to oligodendrocyte lineage cells is necessary for oligodendrogenesis, nor whether this effect persists throughout myelination. This proposal outlines a plan to answer both of these questions using two separate lines of mice in which BMP signaling has been disrupted specifically in the oligodendrocyte lineage.
In Aim 1, I will generate two lines of mice in which BMP signaling is disrupted in oligodendrocyte lineage cells.
In Aim 2, I will determine whether a requirement for BMP signaling to oligodendrocyte lineage cells is required for oligodendrogenesis, whether BMP signaling is necessary for myelination and for myelin maintenance, and whether BMP signaling to oligodendrocyte lineage cells is involved in astrogliogenesis.
