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 Concept Videos

Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures01:32

Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures

2.8K
Complex microtubule structures are present in resting cells and in dividing cells. In resting cells, they are responsible for maintaining the cellular architecture, tracks for intracellular transport, positioning of organelles, assembly of cilia and flagella. They mediate the bipolar spindle assembly for chromosomal segregation and positioning of the cell division plate in dividing cells. The formation of microtubule complex structures depends on the cell type, cell stage, and cell function.
2.8K
Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments01:18

Assembly of Cytoskeletal Filaments

28.3K
Cytoskeletal filaments are polymeric forms of smaller protein subunits. However, individual cytoskeletal filaments may easily disassemble or associate with other similar filaments to form rigid structures. Microfilaments, made of actin monomers, rely on actin-binding proteins to form bundles and create networks of individual actin filaments. Microtubules rely on microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) to form sturdy cylindrical structures. However, the proteins involved in forming complex...
28.3K
Microtubules in Cell Motility01:24

Microtubules in Cell Motility

5.0K
Microtubules are thick hollow cylindrical proteins that help form the cytoskeleton. Microtubules have varied roles in the cell. These filaments help form cellular appendages like cilia and flagella, which are responsible for locomotion. The cilia arise from basal bodies, separated from the main body by a membrane-like structure forming the transition zone. This zone is the gate for the entry of lipids and proteins, creating a unique composition of lipids and proteins in the ciliary membrane and...
5.0K
Microtubules in Cell Motility01:24

Microtubules in Cell Motility

1.6K
1.6K
Spindle Assembly02:50

Spindle Assembly

4.4K
Spindle assembly occurs through three, often coexisting, pathways – the centrosome-mediated pathway, the chromatin-mediated pathway, and the microtubule-mediated pathway – collectively contributing to form a robust spindle apparatus.
In most cells, centrosomes are the primary microtubule nucleation centers. In the centrosome-mediated pathway, the G2-prophase transition triggers centrosome maturation and increased microtubule nucleation. Progressive nucleation results in a...
4.4K
Centrioles and Centrosomes01:13

Centrioles and Centrosomes

7.2K
Most animal cells comprise a pair of centrioles together called a centrosome. The cell duplicates its centrosome and contains two centrosomes side-by-side, which begin to move apart during the prophase. As the centrosomes migrate to two different sides of the cell, microtubules start extending from each centrosome toward the other end. The mitotic spindle is composed of the centrosomes and their emerging microtubules.
Near the end of the prophase, also called late prophase or...
7.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

The Role of Spastin in Axon Biology.

Frontiers in cell and developmental biology·2022
Same author

The role of the membrane-associated periodic skeleton in axons.

Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS·2021
Same author

Microtubules, actin and cytolinkers: how to connect cytoskeletons in the neuronal growth cone.

Neuroscience letters·2021
Same author

Actin dynamics in the growth cone: a key player in axon regeneration.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2020
Same author

Coherent-hybrid STED: high contrast sub-diffraction imaging using a bi-vortex depletion beam.

Optics express·2019
Same author

The Regulation of Axon Diameter: From Axonal Circumferential Contractility to Activity-Dependent Axon Swelling.

Frontiers in molecular neuroscience·2018

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Visualizing Actin and Microtubule Coupling Dynamics In Vitro by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence TIRF Microscopy
08:44

Visualizing Actin and Microtubule Coupling Dynamics In Vitro by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence TIRF Microscopy

Published on: July 20, 2022

4.1K

The neuronal and actin commitment: Why do neurons need rings?

Sérgio Carvalho Leite1,2,3, Mónica Mendes Sousa4,5

  • 1Nerve Regeneration Group, IBMC - Instituto De Biologia Molecular E Celular, Porto, Portugal.

Cytoskeleton (Hoboken, N.J.)
|January 20, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Newly discovered actin rings in neurons, particularly in axons and dendrites, warrant further investigation into their assembly mechanisms and functions. Understanding these structures is key to neuronal health and regeneration.

Keywords:
actinactin-spectrin latticecortical cytoskeletonperiodic cytoskeleton

More Related Videos

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids
08:49

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Published on: June 23, 2022

4.7K
Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets
10:52

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets

Published on: August 13, 2016

10.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 27, 2026

Visualizing Actin and Microtubule Coupling Dynamics In Vitro by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence TIRF Microscopy
08:44

Visualizing Actin and Microtubule Coupling Dynamics In Vitro by Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence TIRF Microscopy

Published on: July 20, 2022

4.1K
Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids
08:49

Self-Assembly of Microtubule Tactoids

Published on: June 23, 2022

4.7K
Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets
10:52

Reconstitution of Basic Mitotic Spindles in Spherical Emulsion Droplets

Published on: August 13, 2016

10.3K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Cytoskeleton Dynamics

Background:

  • The actin cytoskeleton is crucial in neuronal compartments like growth cones and dendritic spines.
  • Recent findings reveal actin rings in the axon shaft and dendrites, alongside axon actin trails.
  • The formation mechanisms and functions of neuronal actin rings remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the structural, mechanistic, and functional properties of subcortical neuronal actin rings.
  • To contextualize neuronal actin rings with known actin structures in other biological systems.
  • To investigate the role of actin-spectrin lattices in neuronal function.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of current knowledge on actin organization in neurons.
  • Comparative analysis of neuronal actin rings with actin rings in non-neuronal cells.
  • Discussion of actin-binding proteins and their potential roles in neuronal actin structures.

Main Results:

  • Neuronal actin rings represent a novel area of cytoskeletal organization with unexplored functions.
  • Actin rings may play roles in axon and dendrite structure and dynamics.
  • Elucidating actin ring mechanisms could reveal new insights into neuronal function.

Conclusions:

  • Further research into neuronal actin rings is essential for understanding fundamental neuronal processes.
  • Investigating these structures may illuminate mechanisms underlying axon degeneration and regeneration.
  • Understanding actin dynamics in neurons holds potential for therapeutic strategies.