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Updated: May 13, 2026

Neuronal Cell Cultures from Aplysia for High-Resolution Imaging of Growth Cones
Published on: February 21, 2008
The trip of the tip: understanding the growth cone machinery
Laura Anne Lowery1, David Van Vactor
1Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Abstract:
The central component in the road trip of axon guidance is the growth cone, a dynamic structure that is located at the tip of the growing axon. During its journey, the growth cone comprises both 'vehicle' and 'navigator'. Whereas the 'vehicle' maintains growth cone movement and contains the cytoskeletal structural elements of its framework, a motor to move forward and a mechanism to provide traction on the 'road', the 'navigator' aspect guides this system with spatial bias to translate environmental signals into directional movement. The understanding of the functions and regulation of the vehicle and navigator provides new insights into the cell biology of growth cone guidance.
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