{
  "abstract": "Myelin sheath lengths vary by an order of magnitude in the central nervous system (CNS) and tune the timing of neuronal signaling. Thus, variation in myelin sheath length has been proposed to coordinate the timing of neuronal signaling to ultimately impact behavior. The mechanisms to establish myelin sheath length are unknown. For decades, reports have documented that in vivo myelin sheath size scales with the diameter of the ensheathed axon. We previously demonstrated diameter is sufficient to instruct myelin sheath lengths formed by rat oligodendrocytes using a synthetic axon culture system. The mechanisms of oligodendrocyte diameter-sensing and its translation into sheath elongation are still unknown. Here, we demonstrate that diameter-sensing and sheath length is locally regulated: each individual myelin sheath responds to the underlying fiber diameter. We uncover a novel mechanism for scaling myelin sheath length to fiber diameter, through mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1. In mice in vivo, Piezo1 impacts the elongation of myelin sheaths on large diameter axons, recapitulating our in vitro results. Yet, surprisingly, there is no impact on myelin thickness with conditional Piezo1 loss. We propose Piezo1 provides a mechanism to establish hard-wired myelin sheath patterns, where oligodendrocytes transduce axon diameter into generating myelin segments with vastly different lengths.\n\nHow oligodendrocytes match their myelin production to the scale of the axon they ensheathe is poorly understood. This study shows that oligodendrocytes require Piezo1 to appropriately scale sheath lengths to axon diameter, supporting the temporal coordination of neuronal signaling.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States of America",
    "Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States of America"
  ],
  "article_type": "Short Reports",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Amanda R. Young"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Ashley Galfano"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jacob Reyngoudt"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ryan W. Lewis"
    },
    {
      "name": "Martha Cash"
    },
    {
      "name": "Beckam Polis"
    },
    {
      "name": "Myah Zalusky"
    },
    {
      "name": "Avipsha Datta"
    },
    {
      "name": "Marie E. Bechler"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b5aznz5kmtq8v.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pbio.3003992",
  "fulltext_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3003992",
  "id": "b5aznz5kmtq8v",
  "issns": [
    "1545-7885"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3003992",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2806|Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Anatomy/Nervous system/Central nervous system"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Anatomy/Nervous system/Neuroanatomy/Spinal cord"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Bioengineering/Biotechnology/Genetic engineering/Genetically modified organisms/Genetically modified animals"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular types/Animal cells/Glial cells/Macroglial cells/Myelin sheath"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Cellular types/Animal cells/Neurons/Nerve fibers/Axons"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Cell biology/Signal transduction/Cell signaling/Calcium signaling"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Developmental biology/Cell differentiation"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Neuroscience/Cellular neuroscience/Neurons/Nerve fibers/Axons"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Neuroscience/Neuroanatomy/Spinal cord"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Engineering and technology/Bioengineering/Biotechnology/Genetic engineering/Genetically modified organisms/Genetically modified animals"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Anatomy/Nervous system/Central nervous system"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Anatomy/Nervous system/Neuroanatomy/Spinal cord"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Immunologic techniques/Immunoassays/Immunofluorescence"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7213917310",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3003992&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-21",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b5aznz5kmtq8v.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:43Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pbio.3003992",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3003992"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:cell biology",
      "subfield": "cell-biology"
    },
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:biotechnology",
      "subfield": "systems-synthetic"
    },
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "plos:anatomy",
      "subfield": "physiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Myelin sheath lengths in the central nervous system scale to axon diameter via oligodendroglial Piezo1",
  "title_text": "Myelin sheath lengths in the central nervous system scale to axon diameter via oligodendroglial Piezo1",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:43Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/b5aznz5kmtq8v",
  "venue": "PLOS Biology",
  "versions": []
}