The fast axonal transport in hippocampal neurones is acutely enhanced by db-cAMP

It has been observed that neurones have a certain capacity for the upregulation of fast axonal transport, for instance during nerve regeneration or reactive sprouting. However, the molecular regulation of this transport system is largely unknown. We show here by quantitative video-microscopy of endogenous organelles that application of 1 mM db-cAMP increases the velocity of fast axonal transport maximally by 32% within 60 minutes in neonatal hippocampal cells. At the same time, the jump length of the saltatory motions remains largely unchanged. The data suggest that activation of protein kinase A plays a role in the immediate upregulation of axonal transport.