The trip of the tip: understanding the growth cone machinery

LA Lowery, DV Vactor - Nature reviews Molecular cell biology, 2009 - nature.com
LA Lowery, DV Vactor
Nature reviews Molecular cell biology, 2009nature.com
The central component in the road trip of axon guidance is the growth cone, a dynamic
structure that is located at the tip of the growing axon. During its journey, the growth cone
comprises both'vehicle'and'navigator'. Whereas the'vehicle'maintains growth cone
movement and contains the cytoskeletal structural elements of its framework, a motor to
move forward and a mechanism to provide traction on the'road', the'navigator'aspect guides
this system with spatial bias to translate environmental signals into directional movement …
Abstract
The central component in the road trip of axon guidance is the growth cone, a dynamic structure that is located at the tip of the growing axon. During its journey, the growth cone comprises both 'vehicle' and 'navigator'. Whereas the 'vehicle' maintains growth cone movement and contains the cytoskeletal structural elements of its framework, a motor to move forward and a mechanism to provide traction on the 'road', the 'navigator' aspect guides this system with spatial bias to translate environmental signals into directional movement. The understanding of the functions and regulation of the vehicle and navigator provides new insights into the cell biology of growth cone guidance.
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