A Nanoscale Model System for the Human Myelin Sheath

Here, we for the first time establish nanodiscs with the challenging lipid composition of myelin of the peripheral or central nervous systems, respectively (PNS and CNS, both containing >40% cholesterol, which so far has been thought to be detrimental for nanodisc formation).Thus, we prove that more complex lipid model membrane systems are in general accessible through nanodiscs and can study protein-lipid interactions in myelin and factors driving myelin formation or degradation using combinations of myelin proteins in a highly controlled lipid environment resembling myelin’s cytoplasmic leaflet. For the functional studies, initial proof-of-principle experiments using myelin basic protein have been performed.