Longevity & AgingBrain Cells Block an Energy Sensor to Keep Myelin Repair On Track
Researchers discovered that oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) — the brain cells responsible for forming and repairing the myelin sheath around neurons — uniquely suppress activation of AMPK, the cell's main energy-stress sensor, even when glucose drops dangerously low. The key mechanism is acetylation of aldolase C (ALDOC) at lysine-14, which prevents the normal lysosomal glucose-sensing cascade from triggering AMPK. Without this brake, OPCs fail to properly proliferate and differentiate into mature myelin-producing cells. The findings have direct implications for demyelinating diseases like multiple sclerosis, stroke, and age-related myelin loss, where remyelination is critical but local glucose levels in lesion areas are depressed.
