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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 29, 2025

In vivo Interrogation of Central Nervous System Translatome by Polyribosome Fractionation

In vivo Interrogation of Central Nervous System Translatome by Polyribosome Fractionation

Published on: April 30, 2014

Monosomes actively translate synaptic mRNAs in neuronal processes.

Anne Biever¹, Caspar Glock¹, Georgi Tushev¹

¹Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|February 1, 2020

Summary

Neurons synthesize proteins locally using messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and ribosomes. This study reveals that single ribosomes (monosomes) actively translate many neuronal transcripts, contributing significantly to local protein production.

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Last Updated: Dec 29, 2025

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Published on: April 30, 2014

Preparation of Synaptoneurosomes from Mouse Cortex using a Discontinuous Percoll-Sucrose Density Gradient

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Quantitative Immunofluorescence to Measure Global Localized Translation

Quantitative Immunofluorescence to Measure Global Localized Translation

Published on: August 22, 2017

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Molecular Biology
Cell Biology

Background:

Neurons transport messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and ribosomes to synapses for local protein synthesis.
Previous studies suggested limited local protein synthesis due to a low number of polysomes in neuronal processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of monosomes in local protein synthesis within neuronal processes.
To quantify the translational status of mRNAs in different neuronal compartments.

Main Methods:

Utilized polysome profiling and ribosome footprinting on microdissected rodent synaptic regions.
Analyzed messenger RNA (mRNA) association with single ribosomes (monosomes) and multiple ribosomes (polysomes).

Main Results:

Identified a significant number of dendritic and/or axonal transcripts associated with monosomes.
Confirmed that these neuronal monosomes are actively engaged in protein synthesis.
Observed compartment-specific translational regulation for some transcripts, with monosome-preferring mRNAs often encoding synaptic proteins.

Conclusions:

Monosome translation is a key contributor to the local neuronal proteome.
Neuronal processes possess a substantial capacity for local protein synthesis via monosomes.
This finding challenges previous assumptions about the limitations of local protein synthesis in neurons.