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Retrograde Injury Signaling in Lesioned Axons

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Cell Biology of the Axon

Part of the book series: Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation ((RESULTS,volume 48))

Abstract

The cell body of a lesioned neuron must receive accurate and timely information on the site and extent of axonal damage, in order to mount an appropriate response. Specific mechanisms must therefore exist to transmit such information along the length of the axon from the lesion site to the cell body. Three distinct types of signals have been postulated to underlie this process, starting with injury-induced discharge of axon potentials, and continuing with two distinct types of retrogradely transported macromolecular signals. The latter includes, on the one hand, an interruption of the normal supply of retrogradely transported trophic factors from the target, and, on the other hand, activated proteins originating from the injury site. This chapter reviews the progress on understanding the different mechanistic aspects of the axonal response to injury, and how the information is conveyed from the injury site to the cell body to initiate regeneration.

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Acknowledgements

The authors’ research on these topics was supported by the Adelson Medical Research Foundation, the Christopher Reeve Foundation and the International Institute for Research in Paraplegia. M.F. is the incumbent of the Chaya Professorial Chair in Molecular Neuroscience at the Weizmann Institute of Science.

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  1. Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Rehovot, Israel

    Mike Fainzilber

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  1. Keren Ben-Yaakov
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Correspondence to Mike Fainzilber .

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Ben-Yaakov, K., Fainzilber, M. (2009). Retrograde Injury Signaling in Lesioned Axons. In: Koenig, E. (eds) Cell Biology of the Axon. Results and Problems in Cell Differentiation, vol 48. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/400_2009_14

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