ABSTRACT
During the development of the peripheral nervous system, axons and myelinating Schwann cells form a unique symbiotic unit, which is realized by a finely tuned network of molecular signals and reciprocal interactions. The importance of this complex interplay becomes evident after injury or in diseases in which aspects of axo-glial interaction are perturbed. This Review focuses on the specific interdependence of axons and Schwann cells in peripheral nerve development that enables axonal outgrowth, Schwann cell lineage progression, radial sorting and, finally, formation and maintenance of the myelin sheath.
Footnotes
Funding
R.M.S. was supported by the ERA-NET for Research Programs on Rare Diseases and the German CMT-NET (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, 01GM1605 and 01GM1511C). R.F. was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Emmy-Noether Fellowship) and the German CMT-NET (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, 01GM1511C). K.-A.N. is supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (CNMPB and SPP1757) and holds a European Research Council Advanced grant.
