Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Microtubule dynamics in axons and dendrites.

P W Baas1, T Slaughter, A Brown

  • 1Department of Anatomy, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison 53706.

Journal of Neuroscience Research
|September 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary

Microtubules (MTs) in neuronal axons and dendrites show similar drug sensitivity but differ in stability, with axons having more stable MTs. Alpha-tubulin variants are found in both stable and labile MTs, but enriched in stable ones.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Developmental expression of the murine spliceosome-associated protein mSAP49.

Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists·1997
Same author

Antibody response to topical streptokinase.

Journal of wound care·1997
Same author

Psychomotor slowing in HIV infection: a predictor of dementia, AIDS and death.

Journal of neurovirology·1996
Same author

Transacylase and phospholipases in the synthesis of bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate.

Biochemistry·1996
Same author

Human kinesin light (beta) chain gene: DNA sequence and functional characterization of its promoter and first exon.

DNA and cell biology·1996
Same author

Effect of integrated research programs on health care systems and costs.

Military medicine·1996

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Microtubules (MTs) are crucial for neuronal structure and function.
  • Understanding MT stability and composition in axons and dendrites is key to neuronal development and maintenance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the stability, alpha-tubulin composition, and polarity orientation of microtubules in cultured sympathetic neuron axons and dendrites.
  • To differentiate between drug-labile and drug-stable MT polymers and their characteristics.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed MT stability using nocodazole sensitivity assays.
  • Quantified MT polymer loss over time in the presence of nocodazole.
  • Analyzed alpha-tubulin variants and MT polarity orientation in drug-labile and drug-stable fractions.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • MTs in axons and dendrites exhibit biphasic depolymerization kinetics, indicating drug-labile and drug-stable populations.
  • Axons contain a higher proportion of drug-stable MT polymer (58%) compared to dendrites (25%).
  • Post-translationally modified alpha-tubulins are enriched in drug-stable MTs in both neuronal compartments.
  • Axonal MTs are uniformly plus-end-distal, while dendritic MTs show non-uniform polarity orientation.

Conclusions:

  • Neuronal MTs comprise distinct labile and stable populations with differential turnover rates.
  • Differences in MT stability and alpha-tubulin composition may contribute to functional specialization of axons and dendrites.
  • Non-uniform MT polarity in dendrites suggests unique mechanisms for cargo transport and neuronal organization.