Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 4, 2026

Expanding the Toolkit for In Vivo Imaging of Axonal Transport
Published on: December 23, 2021
The evolution of the axonal transport toolkit
Sunaina Surana1, David Villarroel-Campos1, Oscar M Lazo1,2
1Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.
Abstract:
Neurons are highly polarized cells that critically depend on long-range, bidirectional transport between the cell body and synapse for their function. This continual and highly coordinated trafficking process, which takes place via the axon, has fascinated researchers since the early 20th century. Ramon y Cajal first proposed the existence of axonal trafficking of biological material after observing that dissociation of the axon from the cell body led to neuronal degeneration. Since these first indirect observations, the field has come a long way in its understanding of this fundamental process. However, these advances in our knowledge have been aided by breakthroughs in other scientific disciplines, as well as the parallel development of novel tools, techniques and model systems. In this review, we summarize the evolution of tools used to study axonal transport and discuss how their deployment has refined our understanding of this process. We also highlight innovative tools currently being developed and how their addition to the available axonal transport toolkit might help to address key outstanding questions.
Related Concept Videos
The Movement of Organelles and Vesicles
Neurons: The Axon
The axon attaches to the cell body at a cone-shaped elevation called the axon hillock. The initial part of the axon, closest to the hillock, is known as the initial segment....
Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures
Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins
Overview of Protein Sorting and Transport
Protein sorting can be of two types: signal-based sorting and vesicle-based trafficking. In signal-based sorting, specific amino acid sequences called sorting signals target proteins to the proper location inside the cell either via gated transport or by protein translocation. In gated transport, folded...
Microtubules in Cell Motility

