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Updated: Jun 23, 2025

In vivo Interrogation of Central Nervous System Translatome by Polyribosome Fractionation
Published on: April 30, 2014
Ribosome-Associated Vesicles promote activity-dependent local translation
Eva Martin-Solana1, Stephen D Carter2, Eric K F Donahue3
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
None:
Local protein synthesis in axons and dendrites underpins synaptic plasticity. However, the composition of the protein synthesis machinery in distal neuronal processes and the mechanisms for its activity-driven deployment to local translation sites remain unclear. Here, we employed cryo-electron tomography, volume electron microscopy, and live-cell imaging to identify Ribosome-Associated Vesicles (RAVs) as a dynamic platform for moving ribosomes to distal processes. Stimulation via chemically-induced long-term potentiation causes RAV accumulation in distal sites to drive local translation. We also demonstrate activity-driven changes in RAV generation and dynamics in vivo, identifying tubular ER shaping proteins in RAV biogenesis. Together, our work identifies a mechanism for ribosomal delivery to distal sites in neurons to promote activity-dependent local translation.
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