Calcium Signaling in the Oligodendrocyte Lineage: Regulators and Consequences

Cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage express a wide range of Ca2+ channels and receptors that regulate oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) and oligodendrocyte formation and function. Here we define those key channels and receptors that regulate Ca2+ signaling and OPC development and myelination. We then discuss how the regulation of intracellular Ca2+ in turn affects OPC and oligodendrocyte biology in the healthy nervous system and under pathological conditions. Activation of Ca2+ channels and receptors in OPCs and oligodendrocytes by neurotransmitters converges on regulating intracellular Ca2+, making Ca2+ signaling a central candidate mediator of activity-driven myelination. Indeed, recent evidence indicates that localized changes in Ca2+ in oligodendrocytes can regulate the formation and remodeling of myelin sheaths and perhaps additional functions of oligodendrocytes and OPCs. Thus, decoding how OPCs and myelinating oligodendrocytes integrate and process Ca2+ signals will be important to fully understand central nervous system formation, health, and function.