Credit: Cincinnati Children's
With wavy channels that almost resemble a school of rainbow-colored fish, this microscopic image shows molecular signs of insulation forming on the sciatic nerve of a 14-day old mouse. Schwann cells that form a protective coating around peripheral nerves – the myelin sheath – are color-coded with antibodies that identify the presence of proteins in the HIPPO-TAZ/YAP and Gαs-protein molecular feedback circuit. The proteins are needed for Schwann cells to begin making the myelin sheath at the right time. Researchers published their data April 26 in the journal Nature Communications.