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The Giant Axon of the Squid: A Simple System for Axonal Transport Studies

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Axonal Transport

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2431))

Abstract

The squid giant axon has a long history of being a superb experimental system in which to investigate a wide range of questions concerning intracellular transport. In this protocol we describe the method used for dissecting the axon to preserve its viability in vitro, and the technique for injecting exogenous materials into the living axon. Now that the squid genome is emerging, and the CRISPR/cas9 system has been successfully applied to knock-out squid genes, the giant axon will resume its place in the scientific pantheon of powerful experimental systems in which to address biological questions pertaining to all eukaryotes.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Prasanna Satpute-Krishnan, Derek Nobrega, and Michael P. Conley for development of this protocol and some of the drawings, to Thomas S. Reese for inspiration and guidance, to Jim Galbraith for construction of the squid table, to Mark Terasaki and Laurinda Jaffe for injection advice, and to the Marine Biological Laboratory Embryology Course for loan of the micromanipulator and other injection equipment. We also thank Paulette Ferland for technical assistance. We co-authors were all at Brown University when this work was developed and we remain Brown Alumni. We are grateful to Brown University for the extraordinary opportunity afforded us to work together: Bearer as tenured professor and PI, DeGiorgis as PhD candidate, and Jang in the BA-MD program. This work was funded by Frederick Bang Summer Whitman Fellowships from MBL (E.L.B.), the Dart Foundation (E.L.B.) as well as NIGMS RO1 GM47368, NINDS RO1 NS046810 and RO1 NS062184 (E.L.B.), and the National Science Foundation under EPSCoR Cooperative Agreement #OIA-1655221 (J.A.D.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department, Providence College, Providence, RI, USA

    Joseph A. DeGiorgis

  2. Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA

    Joseph A. DeGiorgis & Elaine L. Bearer

  3. Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Joseph A. DeGiorgis, Marcus Jang & Elaine L. Bearer

  4. Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Elaine L. Bearer

  5. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

    Elaine L. Bearer

Authors
  1. Joseph A. DeGiorgis
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  2. Marcus Jang
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  3. Elaine L. Bearer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elaine L. Bearer .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Basic and Clinical Neurosciences, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK

    Alessio Vagnoni

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DeGiorgis, J.A., Jang, M., Bearer, E.L. (2022). The Giant Axon of the Squid: A Simple System for Axonal Transport Studies. In: Vagnoni, A. (eds) Axonal Transport. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2431. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1990-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1990-2_1

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-1989-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-1990-2

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