Mechanical breaking of microtubules in axons during dynamic stretch injury underlies delayed elasticity, microtubule disassembly, and axon degeneration.

ABSTRACT: Little is known about which components of the axonal cytoskeleton might break during rapid mechanical deformation, such as occurs in traumatic brain injury. Here, we micropatterned neuronal cell cultures on silicone membranes to induce dynamic stretch exclusively of axon fascicles. After stretch, undulating distortions formed along the axons that gradually relaxed back to a straight orientation, demonstrating a delayed elastic response. Subsequently, swellings developed, leading to degeneration of almost all axons by 24 h. Stabilizing the microtubules with taxol maintained the undulating geometry after injury but greatly reduced axon degeneration. Conversely, destabilizing microtubules with nocodazole prevented undulations but greatly increased the rate of axon loss. Ultrastructural analys

SUBMITTER: Tang-Schomer MD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2879950 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature