F1000 Faculty Reviews are written by members of the prestigious . They are F1000 Faculty commissioned and are peer reviewed before publication to ensure that the final, published version is comprehensive and accessible. The reviewers who approved the final version are listed with their names and affiliations.
AbstractOligodendrocytes are the critical cell types giving rise to the myelin nerve sheath enabling efficient nerve transmission in the central nervous system (CNS). Oligodendrocyte precursor cells differentiate into mature oligodendrocytes and are maintained throughout life. Deficits in the generation, proliferation, or differentiation of these cells or their maintenance have been linked to neurological disorders ranging from developmental disorders to neurodegenerative diseases and limit repair after CNS injury. Understanding the regulation of these processes is critical for achieving proper myelination during development, preventing disease, or recovering from injury. Many of the key factors underlying these processes are epigenetic regulators that enable the fine tuning or reprogramming of gene expression during development and regeneration in response to changes in the local microenvironment. These include chromatin remodelers, histone-modifying enzymes, covalent modifiers of DNA methylation, and RNA modification-mediated mechanisms. In this review, we will discuss the key components in each of these classes which are responsible for generating and maintaining oligodendrocyte myelination as well as potential targeted approaches to stimulate the regenerative program in developmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. F1000Research 2020:105 Last updated: 11 FEB 2020 2. Boddaert N, Zilbovicius M, Philipe A, et al.: MRI findings in 77 children with nonsyndromic autistic disorder. PLoS One. 2009; 4(2): e4415. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text 3. Casanova MF: Neuropathological and genetic findings in autism: the significance of a putative minicolumnopathy. Neuroscientist. 2006; 12(5): 435-41. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text 4. Deoni SCL, Zinkstok JR, Daly E, et al.: White-matter relaxation time and myelin water fraction differences in young adults with autism. Psychol Med. 2015; 45(4): 795-805. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text 5. Hardan AY, Fung LK, Frazier T, et al.: A proton spectroscopy study of white matter in children with autism. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2016; 66: 48-53. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text 6. He D, Marie C, Zhao C, et al.: Chd7 cooperates with Sox10 and regulates the onset of CNS myelination and remyelination. Nat Neurosci. 2016; 19(5): 678-89. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text 7. Gregory LC, Gevers EF, Baker J, et al.: Structural pituitary abnormalities associated with CHARGE syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013; 98(4): E737-43. PubMed Abstract | Publisher Full Text | Free Full Text 8. Popescu BF, Lucchinetti CF: Pathology of demyelinating diseases. Annu Rev Pathol. 2012; 7: 185-217. Pu...