RhoA regulates oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination by orchestrating cortical and membrane tension.

Timely differentiation and myelin formation by oligodendrocytes are essential for the physiological functioning of the central nervous system (CNS). While the Rho GTPase RhoA has been hinted as a negative regulator of myelin sheath formation, the precise in vivo mechanisms have remained elusive. Here we show that RhoA controls the timing and progression of myelination by oligodendrocytes through a fine-tuned balance between cortical tension, membrane tension and cell shape.