Title
Diverse cellular and molecular modes of axon degeneration
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Neurobiology; Freeman Lab
Publication Date
2014-09-01
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Cell Biology | Molecular Biology | Neuroscience and Neurobiology
Abstract
The elimination of large portions of axons is a widespread event in the developing and diseased nervous system. Subsets of axons are selectively destroyed to help fine-tune neural circuit connectivity during development. Axonal degeneration is also an early feature of nearly all neurodegenerative diseases, occurs after most neural injuries, and is a primary driver of functional impairment in patients. In this review we discuss the diversity of cellular mechanisms by which axons degenerate. Initial molecular characterization highlights some similarities in their execution but also argues that unique genetic programs modulate each mode of degeneration. Defining these pathways rigorously will provide new targets for therapeutic intervention after neural injury or in neurodegenerative disease.
Keywords
Wallerian degeneration, axon degeneration, axon retraction, axosome shedding, glia, pruning
DOI of Published Version
10.1016/j.tcb.2014.04.003
Source
Trends Cell Biol. 2014 Sep;24(9):515-23. doi: 10.1016/j.tcb.2014.04.003. Epub 2014 Apr 27. Link to article on publisher's site
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Trends in cell biology
Related Resources
PubMed ID
24780172
Repository Citation
Neukomm LJ, Freeman MR. (2014). Diverse cellular and molecular modes of axon degeneration. Neurobiology Publications. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2014.04.003. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/neurobiology_pp/172