Axonal Cytoskeleton
Axonal Cytoskeleton - Related Videos
12:52
Use of Shigella flexneri to Study Autophagy-Cytoskeleton Interactions
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Cited by 14 •
2014
To counteract pathogen dissemination, host cells reorganize their cytoskeleton to compartmentalize bacteria and induce autophagy. Using Shigella infection of tissue culture cells, host and pathogen determinants underlying this process are identified and characterized. Using zebrafish models of Shigella infection, the role of discovered molecules and mechanisms are investigated in vivo.
01:18
Polarity of the Cytoskeleton
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2023
The intrinsic polarity of cells can be primarily attributed to two factors- i) the asymmetric accumulation of mobile components such are regulatory molecules and subcellular components across the cell and ii) the orientation of polar cytoskeletal filaments that make up the cytoskeletal networks, specifically microfilaments, and microtubules arranged along the axis of polarity. Interactions between the cytoskeletal filaments are crucial for the establishment and maintenance of the polar nature...
09:31
Measurement of Tension Release During Laser Induced Axon Lesion to Evaluate Axonal Adhesion to the Substrate at Piconewton and Millisecond Resolution
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Cited by 1 •
2013
We measured the tension release in an axon that was partially lesioned with a laser dissector by simultaneous force spectroscopy measurement performed on an optically-trapped probe adhered to the membrane of the axon. The developed experimental protocol evaluates the axon adhesion to the culture substrate.
01:33
Introduction to Cytoskeleton
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2023
Overview of the Cytoskeleton The cytoskeleton is a network of protein filaments present within the cell, having three distinct filaments ̶ microfilaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments. Each has characteristic features that distinguish them, including the dynamics of their assembly and disassembly, mechanical properties, polarity, and the type of molecular motors associated with them. Earlier, they were thought to be present only in eukaryotic cells; however, their homologs were...
01:17
Studying the Cytoskeleton
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2023
The cytoskeletal architecture can be studied using different microscopic and biochemical techniques. Electron microscopy was instrumental in discovering the cytoskeletal architecture around the 1960s, which allowed obtaining structural information at a high-resolution level. However, the sample preparation procedure often limits this ability in biological samples. Several protocols have been developed over the years to optimize sample preparation. In one of the protocols known as rotary...
FAQs
Polarized microtubules provide organized tracks for motor proteins, allowing organelles and proteins to move between the neuronal cell body and synaptic terminals. Their orientation is therefore important not only for transport itself, but also for maintaining the axon’s long-range internal organization. Studying this arrangement helps explain how neurons sustain distant regions despite the separation between them.
Neurofilaments influence axon diameter and contribute to mechanical strength. These properties give the axon structural support while it extends over long distances and maintains its specialized architecture. In neuroscience, examining neurofilament organization helps connect the physical dimensions and resilience of an axon with its ability to preserve neuronal structure during development, normal function, or disease-associated change.
Actin filaments organize the axon periphery and growth cone, placing them at sites where axon shape and extension can be adjusted. Their remodeling works alongside microtubule and neurofilament behavior rather than operating in isolation. This coordinated activity is relevant when investigating how axons extend and adapt, particularly during studies of neuronal development and regeneration.
Assembly and disassembly allow cytoskeletal components to be rearranged, while remodeling coordinates those changes across the axon. This flexibility lets the internal scaffold support stable structure without becoming permanently fixed. For neuroscience research, that balance links cytoskeletal dynamics with axonal extension, adaptation, and the continued delivery of proteins and organelles.
Because cytoskeletal organization changes as axons extend and adapt, it provides a structural framework for studying neuronal development and regeneration. Researchers can relate microtubule tracks, neurofilament-supported architecture, and actin-organized peripheral regions to changing axonal requirements. This perspective helps distinguish transport, structural maintenance, and growth-related roles within the same neuron.
Neurodegenerative disease can be examined through structural changes in the axon and through changes in the coordinated cytoskeletal processes that support it. Researchers can compare filament organization, remodeling, and transport with the condition of neuronal structure. This approach connects molecular components with axonal changes associated with disease and with the long-distance demands of neuronal signaling.