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. 2015 Dec 28;10(12):e0145334. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145334

Fig 7. Prox1 function in the OL cell lineage.

Fig 7

(A) Comparison of Drosophila enwrapping interface glia (IG) and mammalian OPCs and OLs. Drosophila glia are differentiated cells that enwrap axons, recycle neurotransmitters, proliferate upon injury and express both Notch and pros. OPCs are proliferative progenitors and have both Notch1 and Prox1. OLs are differentiated cells that myelinate axons, and have Prox1. (B) In Drosophila IG, Pros and Notch maintain each other’s expression but have opposite functions in cell proliferation and differentiation. This maintains these cells quiescent but ready to divide upon injury. In the mouse, hypothetical interactions between Prox1 and Notch1 are given: arrows in black indicate evidence presented here as data or based on OL cell lineage literature, and dotted in grey indicate hypothetical genetic interactions. Accumulation of Prox1 protein in OPCs could drive cell cycle exit, repress NG2 expression, and drive OL differentiation. Prox1 may be required in OLs to maintain differentiation and function.