The evolutionary success of the vertebrate nervous system is largely due to a unique structural feature - the myelin sheath, a fatty envelope that surrounds the axons of neurons. By increasing the speed by which electrical signals travel along axons, myelin facilitates neuronal communication between distant regions of the nervous system. Here, we review the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate the development of myelin as well as its homeostasis in adulthood. We discuss how finely tuned neuron-oligodendrocyte interactions are central to myelin formation during development and in the adult and how these interactions can have profound implications for the plasticity of the adult brain. We also speculate how the functional diversity of both neurons and oligodendrocytes may impact the myelination process in both health and disease.

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The enteric nervous system (ENS) populates the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and controls GI function. In contrast to the central nervous system, macrostructure of the ENS has been largely overlooked. Here, we visually and computationally demonstrate that the ENS is organized in circumferential stripes that regionally differ in development and neuronal composition. This characterization provides a blueprint for future understanding of region-specific GI function and identifying ENS structural correlates of GI disorders.