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Updated: May 12, 2026

Detection of Axonally Localized mRNAs in Brain Sections Using High-Resolution In Situ Hybridization
Published on: June 17, 2015
Axonal translation of β-catenin regulates synaptic vesicle dynamics
Anne Marion Taylor1, Jason Wu, Hwan-Ching Tai
1University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA. amtaylor@unc.edu
Abstract:
Many presynaptic transcripts have been observed in axons, yet their role in synapse development remains unknown. Using visually and pharmacologically isolated presynaptic terminals from dissociated rat hippocampal neurons, we found that ribosomes and β-catenin mRNA preferentially localize to recently formed boutons. Locally translated β-catenin accumulates at presynaptic terminals, where it regulates synaptic vesicle release dynamics. Thus, local translation of β-catenin is a newly described mechanism for axons to independently functionalize nerve terminals at great distances from cellular somata.
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