Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 25, 2026
06:23
Visualizing Axonal Growth Cone Collapse and Early Amyloid β Effects in Cultured Mouse Neurons
Published on: October 30, 2018
8.5K
How does calcium interact with the cytoskeleton to regulate growth cone motility during axon pathfinding?
Robert J Gasperini1, Macarena Pavez1, Adrian C Thompson1
1School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.
Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences
|August 3, 2017
Summary
Calcium signal source, not just amplitude, influences neuronal growth cone motility and axon guidance. This finding is critical for understanding how neural circuits form during development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Precise neuronal connections are vital for nervous system function.
- Axon pathfinding by growth cones is essential for forming neural circuits.
- Molecular mechanisms regulating growth cone motility are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of calcium signal source in growth cone motility.
- To explore how calcium signaling impacts axon guidance.
- To elucidate mechanisms of cytoskeletal regulation in neuronal development.
Main Methods:
- Studied calcium signaling dynamics in growth cones.
- Manipulated calcium influx through L-type voltage-gated calcium channels.
- Assessed sensory neuron motility in response to netrin-1 gradients.
Main Results:
- Calcium signal amplitude and source critically affect growth cone motility.
- Modulating calcium signaling via L-type channels alters sensory neuron response to netrin-1.
- Evidence suggests calcium signal source dictates cytoskeletal rearrangements.
Conclusions:
- The source of calcium mobilization is a key determinant of growth cone behavior.
- Understanding calcium signal transduction is crucial for axon guidance mechanisms.
- This research advances knowledge of neural circuit formation in the developing nervous system.
Related Concept Videos
01:32Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration
5.6K
A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker...
5.6K
01:31Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation
3.8K
Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...
3.8K
01:32Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures
2.6K
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.
2.6K
01:24Microtubules in Cell Motility
4.9K
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...
4.9K
01:39Mechanism of Filopodia Formation
3.3K
Filopodia are thin, actin-rich cellular protrusions that play an important role in many fundamental cellular functions. They vary in their occurrence, length, and positioning in different cell types, suggesting their diverse roles.
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
Their main function is to guide migrating cells during normal tissue morphogenesis or cancer metastasis by recognizing and making initial contacts with the extracellular matrix. However, they can also act as stationary cell anchors or help to establish communication...
3.3K
01:17Studying the Cytoskeleton
10.3K
The cytoskeletal architecture can be studied using different microscopic and biochemical techniques. Electron microscopy was instrumental in discovering the cytoskeletal architecture around the 1960s, which allowed obtaining structural information at a high-resolution level. However, the sample preparation procedure often limits this ability in biological samples. Several protocols have been developed over the years to optimize sample preparation. In one of the protocols known as rotary...
10.3K