Myelin injury, a hallmark of several neurological diseases, is highly sensitive to glucose metabolism disruptions. Here, we reveal that oligodendrocytes (OLs) within demyelinating lesions exhibit reduced glycolytic efficiency and lactate production compared with mature OLs. Administration of lactate, the product of glycolysis, or specific overexpression of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), the enzyme in lactate production, in Olig1+ OLs significantly enhances remyelination. In contrast, conditional knockout of LDHA in the Olig1+ lineage or CNPase+ premyelinating OLs leads to severe neuropathy with dysmyelination in a development-dependent and cell-specific manner. Mechanistic insights show that OLs within demyelinating lesions undergo lactylation silencing, a lactate-induced epigenetic modification that impedes myelin restoration. Furthermore, lactylation of LDHA and carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) couples glycolysis with OL maturation. Our findings elucidate the metabolic interplay among glycolysis, lactylation, and OL maturation and provide novel enzymatic therapeutic perspectives for demyelinating disorders, for which effective therapies are currently lacking.
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Reference: Neuron. 2026 Jul 15;114(14):2587-2604.e6.
