Regulation of L-type Ca⁺⁺ currents and process morphology in white matter oligodendrocyte precursor cells by golli-myelin proteins

The golli myelin basic proteins are expressed in oligodendroglial precursor cells (OPCs) where they play a role in regulating Ca²⁺ homeostasis. During depolarization, they influence process outgrowth and migration through their action on voltage-operated Ca²⁺ channels (VOCCs). To identify ion channels that are modulated by golli, we examined the electrophysiological properties of VOCCs in OPCs in the white matter of golli knock-out and control mice. OPCs exhibited two distinct Ca2²⁺ channels, which were distinguished by their voltage dependence and pharmacological profiles and which exhibited many of the hallmarks of LVA/T-type and HVA/L-type Ca²⁺ channels. The density of high-voltage-activated (HVA) currents was reduced in OPCs recorded in golli-KO tissue, while low-voltage-activated (LVA) currents remained unaltered in these cells. These data indicate that golli exerts an exclusive influence on L-type Ca²⁺ channels in OPCs. Oligodendrocytes (OLs) also displayed LVA and HVA currents, although the density of these currents was much reduced at this developmental stage. These currents were not altered in golli-KO OLs showing the influence of golli on L-type Ca²⁺ channels is restricted to a specific time-window during the course of oligodendroglial development. The actions of golli on OPC L-type Ca²⁺ channels were accompanied by changes in process morphology, including a reduction in process complexity and the appearance of enlarged varicosities that decorated these cellular processes. These data on L-type Ca²⁺ channels and process development provide in situ evidence for the influence of golli on VOCCs, and offer an explanation for the hypomyelination observed in the brains of golli-KO mice.