Author response: Oligodendrocytes control potassium accumulation in white matter and seizure susceptibility

Oligodendrocytes Support Neuronal Glutamatergic Transmission via Expression of Glutamine Synthetase.

Summary: Glutamate has been implicated in a wide range of brain pathologies and is thought to be metabolized via the astrocyte-specific enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS). We show here that oligodendrocytes, the myelinating glia of the central nervous system, also express high levels of GS in caudal regions like the midbrain and the spinal cord. Selective removal of oligodendrocyte GS in mice led to reduced brain glutamate and glutamine levels and impaired glutamatergic synaptic transmission without disrupting myelination. Furthermore, animals lacking oligodendrocyte GS displayed deficits in cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization, a behavior that is dependent on glutamatergic signaling in th…

Oligodendrocytes control potassium accumulation in white matter and seizure susceptibility

Oligodendrocytes Control Potassium Accumulation in White Matter and Seizure Susceptibility.Larson VA, Mironova Y, Vanderpool KG, Waisman A, Rash JE, Agarwal A, Bergles DE. Elife. 2018 Mar 29;7. pii: e34829. doi: 10.7554/eLife.34829.The inwardly rectifying K+ channel Kir4.1 is broadly expressed by central nervous system glia and deficits in Kir4.1 lead to seizures and myelin vacuolization. However, the role of oligodendrocyte Kir4.1 channels in controlling myelination and K+ clearance in white matter has not been defined. Here, we show that selective deletion of Kir4.1 from oligodendrocyte progenitors or mature oligodendrocytes did not impair their development or disrupt the structure of mye…