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Microtubules and axonal growth

¹Department of Anatomy, The University of Wisconsin Medical School, 1300 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, USA. pwbaas@facstaff.wisc.edu

Current Opinion in Cell Biology

|February 1, 1997

Summary

New research investigates how tubulin is transported in growing neurons. Evidence suggests assembled microtubules, not free subunits, are actively transported down the axon.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cell Biology

Background:

The establishment of microtubule arrays in growing neuronal axons is a long-standing debate.
A central question is whether tubulin is transported as assembled microtubules or free subunits.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent studies addressing the mechanism of tubulin transport in neuronal axons.
To evaluate new evidence regarding the form of tubulin transported during axonal growth.

Main Methods:

Analysis of recent pharmacological studies.
Examination of live-cell imaging approaches.
Review of molecular biology techniques.

Main Results:

Some studies did not find evidence for the transport of assembled microtubules.
Other recent studies provide compelling evidence for the active transport of assembled microtubules.
New pharmacological, live-cell, and molecular approaches support microtubule transport.

Conclusions:

Recent evidence strongly suggests that tubulin is actively transported down the axon in the form of assembled microtubules.
This finding contributes to resolving a 20-year controversy in neuronal development research.

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