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Cited by 143Cellular Mechanics and InteractionsAxon Guidance and Neuronal SignalingNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Ultrastructure of the axonal periodic scaffold reveals a braid-like organization of actin rings

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Vassilopoulos, Stéphane, Gibaud, Solène, Jimenez, Angélique, Caillol, Ghislaine, Leterrier, Christophe·2019·Nature Communications
DOI 10.1038/s41467-019-13835-6PMC PMC6925202

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Abstract

Recent super-resolution microscopy studies have unveiled a periodic scaffold of actin rings regularly spaced by spectrins under the plasma membrane of axons. However, ultrastructural details are unknown, limiting a molecular and mechanistic understanding of these enigmatic structures. Here, we combine platinum-replica electron and optical super-resolution microscopy to investigate the cortical cytoskeleton of axons at the ultrastructural level. Immunogold labeling and correlative super-resolution/electron microscopy allow us to unambiguously resolve actin rings as braids made of two long, intertwined actin filaments connected by a dense mesh of aligned spectrins. This molecular arrangement contrasts with the currently assumed model of actin rings made of short, capped actin filaments. Along the proximal axon, we resolved the presence of phospho-myosin light chain and the scaffold connection with microtubules via ankyrin G. We propose that braided rings explain the observed stability of the actin-spectrin scaffold and ultimately participate in preserving the axon integrity.

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Vassilopoulos, S., Gibaud, S., Jimenez, A., Caillol, G., & Leterrier, C.
Affiliations
  • Inserm (FR)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
Corresponding author
  • Vassilopoulos, Stéphane
  • Leterrier, Christophe
ORCID
Venue
Nature Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2019-12-20
Volume
10
Issue
1
Pages
5803-5803
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41467-019-13835-6
PMC
PMC6925202
OpenAlex
W2995073429
Cited by
143
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 5
FWCI
10.77
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-14-CE12-0001)
  • Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
  • Sorbonne Université
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Cellular Mechanics and Interactions
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Axon Guidance and Neuronal Signaling
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
actin rings, spectrin, cortical cytoskeleton, axon ultrastructure, ankyrin-G, axon integrity, immunogold labeling
MeSH terms
Actins, Animals, Axons, Cell Membrane, Cells, Cultured, Embryo, Mammalian, Hippocampus, Microscopy, Electron, Microscopy, Fluorescence, Microtubules, Spectrin, Rats, Wistar, Ankyrins, Myosin Light Chains, Primary Cell Culture

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