Cellular and Molecular Biology of Myelination

Experts in the field of cellular and molecular biology of myelination present their latest results. Various techniques were used such as tissue culture, transplantation, transfection, immunocytochemistry and approaches to study the phylogenetic aspects of myelination as well as molec- ular biology. Concerning glial cells: hormones and second messengers play an important role in the regulation of the phenotype and the expression of myelin components at the transcriptional level; these findings are also part of particular relevance for remyelination. Concerning myelin: compositional studies revealed an increasing number of minor components to be of crucial importance for cellular adhesion processes; from a phylogenetic point of view vertebrate myelin has existed for 400 million years with important alterations in its compositon. This book offers a superb collection of the latest results presented by internationally reknowned scientists.