Recent advance in oligodendrocyte differentiation, development and myelin formation

Myelin is multi-layer lipid membrane that surrounds and insulates axons, which is synthesized by oligodendrocyte (OL) in the central nervous system. OLs develop from neural stem cells. Researchers found that many transcription factors, such as Olig2, Sox10, Nkx2.2, Olig1 and Zfp218, play very important roles in the process of OL differentiation, development and maturation. Myelin formation is effected by multiple signaling pathways, including Wnt, PI3K, BMP-Smad signaling pathway. The process of OL differentiation, development and myelination is highly regulated. Here, we mainly review the recent advance in axon surface ligands, transcription factors, epigenetics and other relevant factors for myelination. Key words: Oligodendrocyte; Cell differentiation; Myelination