Intra-axonal protein synthesis – A new target for neural repair?

Jeffery L. Twiss, Ashley L. Kalinski, Rahul Sachdeva, John D. Houle

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

19 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

Although initially argued to be a feature of immature neurons with incomplete polarization, there is clear evidence that neurons in the peripheral nervous system retain the capacity for intra-axonal protein synthesis well into adulthood. This localized protein synthesis has been shown to contribute to injury signaling and axon regeneration in peripheral nerves. Recent works point to potential for protein synthesis in axons of the vertebrate central nervous system. mRNAs and protein synthesis machinery have now been documented in lamprey, mouse, and rat spinal cord axons. Intra-axonal protein synthesis appears to be activated in adult vertebrate spinal cord axons when they are regeneration-competent. Rat spinal cord axons regenerating into a peripheral nerve graft contain mRNAs and markers of activated translational machinery. Indeed, levels of some growth-associated mRNAs in these spinal cord axons are comparable to the regenerating sciatic nerve. Markers of active translation tend to decrease when these axons stop growing, but can be reactivated by a second axotomy. These emerging observations raise the possibility that mRNA transport into and translation within axons could be targeted to facilitate regeneration in both the peripheral and central nervous systems.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1365-1367
Number of pages3
JournalNeural Regeneration Research
Volume11
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2016

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Editorial Board of Neural Regeneration Research. All rights reserved.

Funding

Research in the authors\u2019 laboratories that is related to the topic of this review has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R01-NS041596 and R01-NS089663 to JLT; P01-NS055976 to JDH), National Science Foundation (MCB-1020970 to JLT), Department of Defense/Congressionally Mandated Research Program (W81XWH-13-1-0308 to JLT), US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (2011329 to JLT), and Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation (to JLT). Twiss is the incumbent South Carolina SmartState Chair in Childhood Neurotherapeutics at University of South Carolina.

FundersFunder number
Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Medical Research Foundation
National Institutes of Health (NIH)P01-NS055976, R01-NS041596, R01-NS089663
U.S. Department of Energy Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Project Oak Ridge National Laboratory Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment National Science Foundation National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center National Natural Science Foundation of China1020970
Department of Defense/Congressionally Mandated Research ProgramW81XWH-13-1-0308
United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation2011329

    Keywords

    • Axon regeneration
    • mRNA transport
    • Peripheral nerve injury
    • RNA binding protein
    • Spinal cord injury
    • Translational control

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Developmental Neuroscience

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