Biomaterial Database

The lifecycle of the neuronal microtubule transport machinery. 2020

Alison E Twelvetrees

Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, 385 Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK. Electronic address: a.twelvetrees@sheffield.ac.uk.

Neurons are incredibly reliant on their cytoskeletal transport machinery. During development the cytoskeleton is the primary driver of growth and remodelling. In mature neurons the cytoskeleton keeps all components in a constant state of movement, allowing both supply of newly synthesized proteins to distal locations as well as the removal of aging proteins and organelles for recycling or degradation. This process is most challenging within axons as large distances need to be covered between synthesis and degradation, but it is essential as the lifetime of any single protein is much shorter than the lifetime of the neuron and its synapses. However, the transport machinery itself also has to be actively transported, recycled and degraded in order to localise properly and perform within neurons. This review provides an overview of the lifecycle of cytoskeletal components in neurons, focusing on its spatial organisation over time in the axon.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008870	Microtubules	Slender, cylindrical filaments found in the cytoskeleton of plant and animal cells. They are composed of the protein TUBULIN and are influenced by TUBULIN MODULATORS.	Microtubule
D009474	Neurons	The basic cellular units of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Nerve Cells,Cell, Nerve,Cells, Nerve,Nerve Cell,Neuron
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001369	Axons	Nerve fibers that are capable of rapidly conducting impulses away from the neuron cell body.	Axon
D001370	Axonal Transport	The directed transport of ORGANELLES and molecules along nerve cell AXONS. Transport can be anterograde (from the cell body) or retrograde (toward the cell body). (Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 3d ed, pG3)	Axoplasmic Flow,Axoplasmic Transport,Axoplasmic Streaming,Axonal Transports,Axoplasmic Flows,Axoplasmic Transports,Streaming, Axoplasmic,Transport, Axonal,Transport, Axoplasmic,Transports, Axonal,Transports, Axoplasmic
D014404	Tubulin	A microtubule subunit protein found in large quantities in mammalian brain. It has also been isolated from SPERM FLAGELLUM; CILIA; and other sources. Structurally, the protein is a dimer with a molecular weight of approximately 120,000 and a sedimentation coefficient of 5.8S. It binds to COLCHICINE; VINCRISTINE; and VINBLASTINE.	alpha-Tubulin,beta-Tubulin,delta-Tubulin,epsilon-Tubulin,gamma-Tubulin,alpha Tubulin,beta Tubulin,delta Tubulin,epsilon Tubulin,gamma Tubulin
D020409	Molecular Motor Proteins	Proteins that are involved in or cause CELL MOVEMENT such as the rotary structures (flagellar motor) or the structures whose movement is directed along cytoskeletal filaments (MYOSIN; KINESIN; and DYNEIN motor families).	Motility Proteins,Motor Proteins, Molecular,Proteins, Molecular Motor,Proteins, Motility