Myelin Genes and the Corpus Callosum: Proteolipid Protein 1 (PLP1) and Contactin 1 (CNTN1) Gene Variation Modulates Interhemispheric Integration

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Sebastian Ocklenburg - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)
  • Wanda M. Gerding - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)
  • Larissa Arning - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)
  • Erhan Genç - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)
  • Jörg T. Epplen - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)
  • Onur Güntürkün - , Ruhr University Bochum (Author)
  • Christian Beste - , Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (Author)

Abstract

Interhemispheric communication during demanding cognitive tasks shows pronounced interindividual variation. Differences in interhemispheric transfer time are constituted by the relative composition of slow and fast fibers. The speed of axonal conduction depends on the diameter of the axon and its myelination. To understand the possible genetic impact of myelin genes on performance in the Banich-Belger Task, a widely used paradigm to assess interhemispheric integration, 453 healthy adults were genotyped for 18 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in six myelin-related candidate genes. We replicated the typical pattern of results in the Banich-Belger Task, supporting the idea that performance on cognitively demanding tasks is enhanced when cognitive processing is distributed across the two hemispheres. Moreover, allelic variations in the proteolipid protein 1 gene PLP1 and the contactin 1 gene CNTN1 correlated with the extent to which individual performance is enhanced by interhemispheric integration. Variation in myelin genes possibly affects the microstructure of the corpus callosum by altering oligodendrocyte structure. Therefore, these results provide a foundation for understanding how genetics plays a role in modulating the efficacy of transcallosal transmission.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)7908-7916
Number of pages9
JournalMolecular neurobiology
Volume54
Issue number10
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2017
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 27864734
ORCID /0000-0002-2989-9561/work/160952474

Keywords

Keywords

  • Brain structure, Interhemispheric transfer, Oligodendrocytes, Transcallosal transmission, White matter