Microtubule reconfiguration during axonal retraction induced by nitric oxide.

Antagonistic forces generated by cytoplasmic dynein and myosin-II during growth cone turning and axonal retraction.

Cytoplasmic dynein transports short microtubules down the axon in part by pushing against the actin cytoskeleton. Recent studies have suggested that comparable dynein-driven forces may impinge upon the longer microtubules within the axon. Here, we examined a potential role for these forces on axonal retraction and growth cone turning in neurons partially depleted of dynein heavy chain (DHC) by ...

Stabilization of growing retinal axons by the combined signaling of nitric oxide and brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

The pattern of axonal projections early in the development of the nervous system lacks the precision present in the adult. During a developmental process of refinement, mistargeted projections are eliminated while correct projections are retained. Previous studies suggest that during development nitric oxide (NO) is involved in the elimination of mistargeted retinal axons, whereas brain-derived...

Retraction Note: Association between T-786C polymorphism of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene and level of the vessel dilation factor in patients with coronary artery disease

Membrane raft disruption results in neuritic retraction prior to neuronal death in cortical neurons.

Membrane rafts, rich in sphingolipids and cholesterol, play an important role in neuronal membrane domain-specific signaling events, maintaining synapses and dendritic spines. The purpose of this study is to examine the neuronal response to membrane raft disruption. Membrane rafts of 8 DIV primary neuronal cultures were isolated based on the resistance to Triton X-100 and ability to float in su...

Disorganized microtubules underlie the formation of retraction bulbs and the failure of axonal regeneration.

Axons in the CNS do not regrow after injury, whereas lesioned axons in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) regenerate. Lesioned CNS axons form characteristic swellings at their tips known as retraction bulbs, which are the nongrowing counterparts of growth cones. Although much progress has been made in identifying intracellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate growth cone locomotion and a...