scholarly journals The organization of myosin and actin in rapid frozen nerve growth cones.

1989 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
P C Bridgman ◽  
M E Dailey
Keyword(s):  
Immunoelectron Microscopy ◽  
Growth Cone ◽  
Central Region ◽  
Growth Cones ◽  
Underlying Structure ◽  
Similar Distribution ◽  
Intense Staining ◽  
Rhodamine Phalloidin ◽  
Whole Mount ◽  
Ganglion Neurons

Rapid freezing and freeze substitution were used in conjunction with immunofluorescence, whole mount EM, and immunoelectron microscopy to study the organization of myosin and actin in growth cones of cultured rat superior cervical ganglion neurons. The general cytoplasmic organization was determined by whole mount EM; tight microfilament bundles formed the core of filopodia while a dense meshwork formed the underlying structure of lamellipodia. Although the central microtubule and organelle-rich region of the growth cone had fewer microfilaments, dense foci and bundles of microfilaments were usually observed. Anti-actin immunofluorescence and rhodamine phalloidin staining of f-actin both showed intense staining of filopodia and lamellipodia. In addition, staining of bundles and foci were observed in central regions suggesting that the majority of the microfilaments seen by whole mount EM are actin filaments. Anti-myosin immunofluorescence was brightest in the central region and usually had a punctate pattern. Although less intense, anti-myosin staining was also seen in peripheral regions; it was most prominent at the border with the central region, in portions of lamellipodia undergoing ruffling, and in spots along the shaft and at the base of filopodia. Immunoelectron microscopy of myosin using postembedment labeling with colloidal gold showed a similar distribution to that seen by immunofluorescence. Label was scattered throughout the growth cone, but present as distinct aggregates in the peripheral region mainly along the border with the central region. Less frequently, aggregates were also seen centrally and along the shaft and at the base of filopodia. This distribution is consistent with myosins involvement in the production of tension and movements of growth cone filopodia and lamellipodia that occur during active neurite elongation.

scholarly journals Accumulation of actin in subsets of pioneer growth cone filopodia in response to neural and epithelial guidance cues in situ.

1993 ◽  
Vol 123 (4) ◽  
pp. 935-948 ◽  
Author(s):  
T P O'Connor ◽  
D Bentley
Keyword(s):  
Growth Cone ◽  
Central Region ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Growth Cones ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Rhodamine Phalloidin ◽  
Intermediate Target ◽  
Guidance Cues ◽  
Time Lapse Imaging

Directed outgrowth of neural processes must involve transmission of signals from the tips of filopodia to the central region of the growth cone. Here, we report on the distribution and dynamics of one possible element in this process, actin, in live growth cones which are reorienting in response to in situ guidance cues. In grasshopper embryonic limbs, pioneer growth cones respond to at least three types of guidance cues: a limb axis cue, intermediate target cells, and a circumferential band of epithelial cells. With time-lapse imaging of intracellularly injected rhodamine-phalloidin and rhodamine-actin, we monitored the distribution of actin during growth cone responses to these cues. In distal limb regions, accumulation of actin in filopodia and growth cone branches accompanies continued growth, while reduction of actin accompanies withdrawal. Where growth cones are reorienting to intermediate target cells, or along the circumferential epithelial band, actin selectively accumulates in the proximal regions of those filopodia that have contacted target cells or are extending along the band. Actin accumulations can be retrogradely transported along filopodia, and can extend into the central region of the growth cone. These results suggest that regulation and translocation of actin may be a significant element in growth cone steering.

scholarly journals Growth cone guidance and neuron morphology on micropatterned laminin surfaces

1993 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 203-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Clark ◽  
S. Britland ◽  
P. Connolly
Keyword(s):  
Growth Cone ◽  
Morphological Differentiation ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Growth Cones ◽  
Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons ◽  
Neuron Morphology ◽  
Neurite Extension ◽  
Guidance Cues ◽  
Cone Morphology ◽  
Ganglion Neurons

Neurite growth cones detect and respond to guidance cues in their local environment that determine stereotyped pathways during development and regeneration. Micropatterns of laminin (which was found to adsorb preferentially to photolithographically defined hydrophobic areas of micropatterns) were here used to model adhesive pathways that might influence neurite extension. The responses of growth cones were determined by the degree of guidance of neurite extension and also by examining growth cone morphology. These parameters were found to be strongly dependent on the geometry of the patterned laminin, and on neuron type. Decreasing the spacing of multiple parallel tracks of laminin alternating with non-adhesive tracks, resulted in decreased guidance of chick embryo brain neurons. Single isolated 2 microns tracks strongly guided neurite extension whereas 2 microns tracks forming a 4 microns period multiple parallel pattern did not. Growth cones appear to be capable of bridging the narrow non-adhesive tracks, rendering them insensitive to the smaller period multiple parallel adhesive patterns. These observations suggest that growth cones would be unresponsive to the multiple adhesive cues such as would be presented by oriented extracellular matrix or certain axon fascicle structures, but could be guided by isolated adhesive tracks. Growth cone morphology became progressively simpler on progressively narrower single tracks. On narrow period multiple parallel tracks (which did not guide neurite extension) growth cones spanned a number of adhesive/non-adhesive tracks, and their morphology suggests that lamellipodial advance may be independent of the substratum by using filopodia as a scaffold. In addition to acting as guidance cues, laminin micropatterns also appeared to influence the production of primary neurites and their subsequent branching. On planar substrata, dorsal root ganglion neurons were multipolar, with highly branched neurite outgrowth whereas, on 25 microns tracks, neurite branching was reduced or absent, and neuron morphology was typically bipolar. These observations indicate the precision with which growth cone advance may be controlled by substrata and suggest a role for patterned adhesiveness in neuronal morphological differentiation, but also highlight some of the limitations of growth cone sensitivity to substratum cues.

Hyperpolarization-Activated Currents in the Growth Cone and Soma of Neonatal Rat Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons in Culture

1997 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 177-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Wang ◽  
R. J. Van Den Berg ◽  
D. L. Ypey
Keyword(s):  
Dorsal Root Ganglion ◽  
Growth Cone ◽  
Dorsal Root ◽  
Reversal Potential ◽  
Growth Cones ◽  
Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons ◽  
Neonatal Rat ◽  
Midpoint Potential ◽  
Boltzmann Function ◽  
Ganglion Neurons

Wang, Z., R. J. Van Den Berg, and D. L. Ypey. Hyperpolarization-activated currents in the growth cone and soma of neonatal rat dorsal root ganglion neurons in culture. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 177–186, 1997. Dissociated dorsal root ganglion neuron growth cones and somata from neonatal rats were voltage and current clamped with the use of the perforated-patch whole cell configuration to study the occurrence and properties of slow hyperpolarization-activated currents ( I h) at both regions. Under voltage-clamp conditions I h, blockable by 2 mM extracellular CsCl, was present in 33% of the growth cones tested. Its steady-state activation as a function of voltage could be fitted with a single Boltzmann function with a midpoint potential of −97 mV. The time course of current activation could be best described by a double-exponential function. The magnitude of the fully activated conductance was 3.5 nS and the reversal potential amounted to −29 mV. At the soma, I h was found in 80% of the somata tested, which is much higher than occurrence at the growth cone. The steady-state activation curve of I h at the soma, fitted with a single Boltzmann function, had a midpoint potential of −92 mV, which was more positive than that in the growth cone. The double-exponential activation of the current was faster than in the growth cone. The fully activated conductance of 5.1 nS and the reversal potential of −27 mV were not significantly different from the values obtained at the growth cone. Membrane hyperpolarization by current-clamp pulses elicited depolarizing sags in 30% and 78% of the tested growth cones and somata, respectively, which is in agreement with our voltage-clamp findings. Termination of the hyperpolarizing current pulse evoked a transient membrane depolarization or an action potential at both sites. Application of 2 mM extracellular CsCl hyperpolarized the membrane potential reversibly by ∼5 mV and blocked the depolarizing sags and action potentials following the current injections at these regions. Thus I h contributes to the resting membrane potential and modulates the excitability of both the growth cone and the soma. Intracellular perfusion with the second messenger adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) was only possible at the soma by the use of the conventional whole cell configuration. Addition of 100 μM cAMP to the pipette solution shifted the midpoint potential of the I h activation curve from −108 to −78 mV. The current activation time course was also accelerated. The reversal potential and the fully activated conductance underlying I h were not changed by cAMP. These results imply that cAMP primarily affects the gating kinetics of I h. Our results show for the first time quantitative differences in I h properties and occurrence at the growth cone and soma membrane. These differences may reflect differences in intracellular cAMP concentration and in the expression of I h.

Localization of myosin II A and B isoforms in cultured neurons

1995 ◽  
Vol 108 (12) ◽  
pp. 3661-3670 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.W. Rochlin ◽  
K. Itoh ◽  
R.S. Adelstein ◽  
P.C. Bridgman
Keyword(s):  
Myosin Heavy Chain ◽  
Growth Cone ◽  
Heavy Chain ◽  
Marginal Zone ◽  
Myosin Ii ◽  
Growth Cones ◽  
Filamentous Actin ◽  
Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy ◽  
Actin Bundles ◽  
Ganglion Neurons

Tension generated by growth cones regulates both the rate and the direction of neurite growth. The most likely effectors of tension generation are actin and myosins. We are investigating the role of conventional myosin in growth cone advance. In this paper we report the localization of the two most prominent isoforms of brain myosin II in growth cones, neurites and cell bodies of rat superior cervical ganglion neurons. Affinity purified polyclonal antibodies were prepared against unique peptide sequences from human and rat A and B isoforms of myosin heavy chain. Although each of these antibodies brightly stained nonneuronal cells, antibodies to myosin heavy chain B stained neurons with greater intensity than antibodies to myosin heavy chain A. In growth cones, myosin heavy chain B was most concentrated in the margin bordering the thickened, organelle-rich central region and the thin, actin-rich peripheral region. The staining colocalized with actin bundles proximal and distal to the marginal zone, though the staining was more prominent proximally. The trailing edge of growth cones and the distal portion of the neurite often had a rimmed appearance, but more proximal regions of neurites had cytoplasmic labelling. Localizing MHC-B in growth cones previously monitored during advance (using differential interference contrast microscopy) revealed a positive correlation with edges at which retraction had just occurred and a negative correlation with lamellipodia that had recently undergone protrusion. Cell bodies were brightly labelled for myosin heavy chain B. Myosin heavy chain A staining was dimmer and its colocalization with filamentous actin bundles in growth cones was less striking than that of myosin heavy chain B. Growth cones stained for both myosin heavy chain A and B revealed that the two antigens overlapped frequently, but not exclusively, and that myosin heavy chain A lacked the elevation in the marginal zone that was characteristic of myosin heavy chain B. The pattern of staining we observed is consistent with a prominent role for myosin heavy chain B in either generating tension between widely separated areas of the growth cone, or bundling of actin filaments, which would enable other motors to effect this tension. These data support the notion that conventional myosin is important in growth cone advance and turning.

scholarly journals The organization of F-actin and microtubules in growth cones exposed to a brain-derived collapsing factor.

1993 ◽  
Vol 121 (4) ◽  
pp. 867-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Fan ◽  
S G Mansfield ◽  
T Redmond ◽  
P R Gordon-Weeks ◽  
J A Raper
Keyword(s):  
Growth Cone ◽  
Relative Concentration ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Growth Cones ◽  
Rhodamine Phalloidin ◽  
Alpha Tubulin ◽  
Microtubule Polymerization ◽  
Before And After ◽  
General Protein ◽  
The Brain

In previous work we characterized a brain derived collapsing factor that induces the collapse of dorsal root ganglion growth cones in culture (Raper and Kapfhammer, 1990). To determine how the growth cone cytoskeleton is rearranged during collapse, we have compared the distributions of F-actin and microtubules in normal and partially collapsed growth cones. The relative concentration of F-actin as compared to all proteins can be measured in growth cones by rationing the intensity of rhodamine-phalloidin staining of F-actin to the intensity of a general protein stain. The relative concentration of F-actin is decreased by about one half in growth cones exposed to collapsing factor for five minutes, a time at which they are just beginning to collapse. During this period the relative concentration of F-actin in the leading edges of growth cones decreases dramatically while the concentration of F-actin in the centers decreases little. These results suggest that collapse is associated with a net loss of F-actin at the leading edge. The distributions of microtubules in normal and collapsing factor treated growth cones were examined with antibodies to tyrosinated and detyrosinated isoforms of alpha-tubulin. The tyrosinated form is found in newly polymerized microtubules while the detyrosinated form is not. The relative proximal-distal distributions of these isoforms are not altered during collapse, suggesting that rates of microtubule polymerization and depolymerization are not greatly affected by the presence of collapsing factor. An analysis of the distributions of microtubules before and after collapse suggests that microtubules are rearranged, but their polymerization state is unaffected during collapse. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the brain derived collapsing factor has little effect on microtubule polymerization or depolymerization. Instead it appears to induce a net loss of F-actin at the leading edge of the growth cone.

scholarly journals Cell adhesion molecules regulate Ca2+-mediated steering of growth cones via cyclic AMP and ryanodine receptor type 3

2005 ◽  
Vol 170 (7) ◽  
pp. 1159-1167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriko Ooashi ◽  
Akira Futatsugi ◽  
Fumie Yoshihara ◽  
Katsuhiko Mikoshiba ◽  
Hiroyuki Kamiguchi
Keyword(s):  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Adhesion Molecules ◽  
Ryanodine Receptor ◽  
Growth Cone ◽  
Cell Adhesion Molecules ◽  
Growth Cones ◽  
Receptor Type ◽  
Guidance Cues ◽  
Ganglion Neurons ◽  
Type 3

Axonal growth cones migrate along the correct paths during development, not only directed by guidance cues but also contacted by local environment via cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). Asymmetric Ca2+ elevations in the growth cone cytosol induce both attractive and repulsive turning in response to the guidance cues (Zheng, J.Q. 2000. Nature. 403:89–93; Henley, J.R., K.H. Huang, D. Wang, and M.M. Poo. 2004. Neuron. 44:909–916). Here, we show that CAMs regulate the activity of ryanodine receptor type 3 (RyR3) via cAMP and protein kinase A in dorsal root ganglion neurons. The activated RyR3 mediates Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR) into the cytosol, leading to attractive turning of the growth cone. In contrast, the growth cone exhibits repulsion when Ca2+ signals are not accompanied by RyR3-mediated CICR. We also propose that the source of Ca2+ influx, rather than its amplitude or the baseline Ca2+ level, is the primary determinant of the turning direction. In this way, axon-guiding and CAM-derived signals are integrated by RyR3, which serves as a key regulator of growth cone navigation.

scholarly journals Regulated Actin Cytoskeleton Assembly at Filopodium Tips Controls Their Extension and Retraction

1999 ◽  
Vol 146 (5) ◽  
pp. 1097-1106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aneil Mallavarapu ◽  
Tim Mitchison
Keyword(s):  
Actin Cytoskeleton ◽  
Growth Cone ◽  
Actin Filaments ◽  
Neuroblastoma Cell ◽  
Initial Step ◽  
Growth Cones ◽  
Neuroblastoma Cell Line ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Retrograde Flow ◽  
Assembly Rate

The extension and retraction of filopodia in response to extracellular cues is thought to be an important initial step that determines the direction of growth cone advance. We sought to understand how the dynamic behavior of the actin cytoskeleton is regulated to produce extension or retraction. By observing the movement of fiduciary marks on actin filaments in growth cones of a neuroblastoma cell line, we found that filopodium extension and retraction are governed by a balance between the rate of actin cytoskeleton assembly at the tip and retrograde flow. Both assembly and flow rate can vary with time in a single filopodium and between filopodia in a single growth cone. Regulation of assembly rate is the dominant factor in controlling filopodia behavior in our system.

A complex consisting of pp60c-src/pp60c-srcN and a 38 kDa protein is highly enriched in growth cones from differentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells

1992 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 233-243
Author(s):  
G. Meyerson ◽  
K.H. Pfenninger ◽  
S. Pahlman
Keyword(s):  
Growth Cone ◽  
Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Neuroblastoma Cells ◽  
Growth Cones ◽  
Cell Periphery ◽  
Primary Neurons ◽  
Reducing Conditions ◽  
Oligomeric Complex ◽  
Nerve Growth Cones

Nerve growth cones of primary neurons are highly enriched in the proto-oncogene product pp60c-src. In order to investigate this molecule further in growing neuronal cells, growth cone and cell body fractions were prepared from human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells differentiated neuronally in vitro under the influence of phorbol ester. The fractions were characterized ultrastructurally and by biochemical criteria. The neuronal (pp60c-srcN) and the fibroblastic (pp60c-src) forms of pp60src are slightly enriched and activated in the growth cones relative to the perikarya. Immunoprecipitates of pp60src from differentiated SH-SY5Y growth cones contain at least four phosphoproteins in addition to pp60src. One of these, pp38, migrates as a 100–140 kDa complex with pp60src under non-reducing conditions of gel electrophoresis. The pp38/pp60src complex is not easily detected in non-differentiated SH-SY5Y cells or perikarya of differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, but it is highly enriched in the growth cone preparation. These data suggest that growth-cone pp60src exists in a disulfide-linked oligomeric complex. The complex appears to be assembled only in the cell periphery and may be dependent upon neuronal differentiation.

Pioneer neurones use basal lamina as a substratum for outgrowth in the embryonic grasshopper limb

Development ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 104 (4) ◽  
pp. 601-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Anderson ◽  
R.P. Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Horseradish Peroxidase ◽  
Basal Lamina ◽  
Growth Cone ◽  
Growth Cones ◽  
Axon Outgrowth ◽  
Stages Of Development

During axonogenesis, contacts made by the growth cone with its substratum are important in guiding the direction of neurone outgrowth. This study examines the contacts made by the growth cones of pioneer neurones in the embryonic grasshopper limb. Individual pioneer neurones at different stages of development were injected with horseradish peroxidase and the contacts made by the filopodia at the tip of their growth cones were examined by electron microscopy. Filopodia made few contacts with mesodermal cells, some contacts with ectodermal cells and very frequent contacts with basal lamina underlying the ectoderm. Components of the basal lamina may therefore play a role in guiding pioneer axon outgrowth.

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