scholarly journals Live-Cell Imaging of Slow Axonal Transport in Cultured Neurons

2003 ◽  
pp. 305-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Brown
Keyword(s):  
Axonal Transport ◽  
Live Cell Imaging ◽  
Cell Imaging ◽  
Live Cell ◽  
Cultured Neurons ◽  
Slow Axonal Transport

scholarly journals Role of cytoplasmic dynein in the axonal transport of microtubules and neurofilaments

2005 ◽  
Vol 168 (5) ◽  
pp. 697-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan He ◽  
Franto Francis ◽  
Kenneth A. Myers ◽  
Wenqian Yu ◽  
Mark M. Black ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Interference ◽  
Axonal Transport ◽  
Heavy Chain ◽  
Live Cell Imaging ◽  
Cell Imaging ◽  
Sympathetic Neurons ◽  
Cytoplasmic Dynein ◽  
Live Cell ◽  
Cytoskeletal Elements

Recent studies have shown that the transport of microtubules (MTs) and neurofilaments (NFs) within the axon is rapid, infrequent, asynchronous, and bidirectional. Here, we used RNA interference to investigate the role of cytoplasmic dynein in powering these transport events. To reveal transport of MTs and NFs, we expressed EGFP-tagged tubulin or NF proteins in cultured rat sympathetic neurons and performed live-cell imaging of the fluorescent cytoskeletal elements in photobleached regions of the axon. The occurrence of anterograde MT and retrograde NF movements was significantly diminished in neurons that had been depleted of dynein heavy chain, whereas the occurrence of retrograde MT and anterograde NF movements was unaffected. These results support a cargo model for NF transport and a sliding filament model for MT transport.

scholarly journals Kinesin-5 regulates the growth of the axon by acting as a brake on its microtubule array

2007 ◽  
Vol 178 (6) ◽  
pp. 1081-1091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth A. Myers ◽  
Peter W. Baas
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
Mitotic Spindle ◽  
Live Cell Imaging ◽  
Cell Imaging ◽  
Motor Protein ◽  
Live Cell ◽  
Cultured Neurons ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Microtubule Array ◽  
Inverse Effect

Kinesin-5 is a homotetrameric motor protein that interacts with adjacent microtubules in the mitotic spindle. Kinesin-5 is also highly expressed in developing postmitotic neurons. Axons of cultured neurons experimentally depleted of kinesin-5 grow up to five times longer than controls and display more branches. The faster growth rates are accompanied by a doubling of the frequency of transport of short microtubules, suggesting a major role for kinesin-5 in the balance of motor-driven forces on the axonal microtubule array. Live-cell imaging reveals that the effects on axonal length of kinesin-5 depletion are caused partly by a lower propensity of the axon and newly forming branches to undergo bouts of retraction. Overexpression of wild-type kinesin-5, but not a rigor mutant of kinesin-5, has the inverse effect on axonal length. These results indicate that kinesin-5 imposes restrictions on the growth of the axon and does so at least in part by generating forces on the axonal microtubule array.

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