Myelin Water Fraction Imaging Reveals Hemispheric Asymmetries in Human White Matter That Are Associated with Genetic Variation in PLP1.

Myelination of axons in the central nervous system is critical for human cognition and behavior. The predominant protein in myelin is proteolipid protein-making PLP1, the gene that encodes for proteolipid protein, one of the primary candidate genes for white matter structure in the human brain. Here, we investigated the relation of genetic variation within PLP1 and white matter microstructure as assessed with myelin water fraction imaging, a neuroimaging technique that has the advantage over conventional diffusion tensor imaging in that it allows for a more direct assessment of myelin content. We observed significant asymmetries in myelin water fraction that were strongest and rightward in the parietal lobe. Importantly, these parietal myelin water fraction asymmetries were associated with genetic variation in PLP1. These findings support the assumption that genetic variation in PLP1 affects white matter myelination in the healthy human brain.