Transcription factors Sox8 and Sox10 contribute differentially to maintenance of the differentiated state in oligodendrocytes

To identify target genes of the transcription factors Sox8 and Sox10 in oligodendrocytes in a genome-wide and unbiased approach, we induced oligodendocyte-specific deletion of Sox8, Sox10 or a combination thereof (Sox8 knockout, Sox10 knockout, double knockout) in 2 months-old mice, dissected the corpus callosum of control and mutant mice after 21 days and isolated total RNA for ensuing RNA-Seq studies. Among others we detected substantial changes in the expression of genes associated with differentiation of oligodendrocytes and myelination in Sox10 knockout mice as well as double knockout mice but not in Sox8 knockout mice.