Effect of sodium- or chloride-deficient medium on fast axonal transport in frog spinal nerves

Fast axonal transport of radiolabeled proteins was studied in vitro in desheathed spinal nerves from frog. The replacement of the NaCl of the medium by LiCl reduced by 58% the amount of radiolabeled proteins which accumulated at a ligature, but its replacement by choline chloride did not inhibit transport. The replacement of NaCl by sodium isethionate led to a 32% reduction in the quantity of protein-bound radioactivity at the ligature. The results suggest that Cl-ions are essential to maintain fast axonal transport, and that Na+ may also be important.