Actin in emerging neurites is recruited from a monomer pool

Does actin in the emerging axons of regenerating neurons arise from the assembled or unassembled actin pool in the cell soma? We investigated this question by loading neurons with one of two fluorescently labeled molecules: rhodamine actin (r-actin) and rhodamine phalloidin (r-phalloidin). The assembly behavior of r-actin in vitro was identical to unlabeled actin. R-phalloidin binds tightly only to the filamentous form of actin (F-actin) and stabilizes filaments against disassembly. Hence, r-phalloidin-tagged filaments should be less likely to disassemble than r-actin-tagged filaments. Neurons of 10-d-old chick embryos were loaded with r-actin or r-phalloidin by triturating trypsinized dorsal root ganglia in isotonic sucrose containing the fluorescently tagged molecule. Isolated neurons were plated on glass coverslips in modified L15 medium containing nerve growth factor. Video images of the live cells on a thermoregulated stage were acquired with a computer imaging system. After 24 h in culture, the fluorescence distribution of r-phalloidin and r-actin was examined in live neurons of comparable morphology, neurite outgrowth, and intensity of somal fluorescence. Greater than 90% of the neurons labeled with r-actin (n = 81) contained detectable levels of fluorescence in emerging neurite fibers, often extending to the tip of the growing process. Less than 10% of the neurons labeled with r-phalloidin (n = 53) contained any fluorescence in the neurite fibers. In those that did contain fluorescence, the r-phalloidin usually was confined to the proximal segment of the neurite, and in no case was it found at the growing tip. Confocal microscopy and cooled CCD imaging of fixed neurons showed that all structures that incorporated r-actin or r-phalloidin also stained with bodipy phallacidin. This colocalization confirms the association of rhodamine-tagged species with F-actin. Our data support a model in which actin, needed in early stages of neurite outgrowth, arises from a pool in the soma that is capable of disassembly.