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Updated: Sep 25, 2025

Measuring Axonal Cargo Transport in Mouse Primary Cortical Cultured Neurons
Published on: February 24, 2023
Selective axonal transport through branch junctions is directed by growth cone signaling and mediated by
Stephen R Tymanskyj1, Bridget M Curran1, Le Ma1
1Department of Neuroscience, Jefferson Center for Synaptic Biology, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sydney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
Abstract:
Development and function of nerve cells rely on the orchestration of microtubule-based transport from the cell body into distal axonal terminals. Neurons often have highly elaborate branches innervating multiple targets, but how protein or membrane cargos navigate through branch junctions to specific branch targets is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that anterograde transport of membrane vesicles through axonal branch junctions is highly selective, which is influenced by branch length and more strongly by growth cone motility. Using an optogenetic tool, we demonstrate that signaling from the growth cone can rapidly direct transport through branch junctions. We further demonstrate that such transport selectivity is differentially regulated for different vesicles and mediated by the KIF1/kinesin-3 family motors. We propose that this transport regulation through branch junctions could broadly impact neuronal development, function, and regeneration.
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