Polarity orientation of microtubules in hippocampal neurons: uniformity in the axon and nonuniformity in the dendrite
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We have analyzed the polarity orientation of microtubules in the axons and dendrites of cultured rat hippocampal neurons. As previously reported of axons from other neurons, microtubules in these axons are uniform with respect to polarity; (+)-ends are directed away from the cell body toward the growth cone. In sharp contrast, microtubules in the mid-region of the dendrite, approximately 75 microns from the cell body, are not of uniform polarity orientation. Roughly equal proportions of these microtubules are oriented with (+)-ends directed toward the growth cone and (+)-ends directed toward the cell body. At distances within 15 micron of the growth cone, however, microtubule polarity orientation in dendrites is similar to that in axons; (+)-ends are uniformly directed toward the growth cone. These findings indicate a clear difference between axons and dendrites with respect to microtubule organization, a difference that may underlie the differential distribution of organelles within the neuron.
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MTs in dendrites have mixed orientations.
“Unlike in the axon, MTs in dendrites have been shown to be mixed in their orientations (14).”
From Active transport by cytoplasmic dynein sustains dendritic MAP2 localization in developing neurons (2026) · cites this paper as [14]
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- Authors
- Baas, P. W., Deitch, J. S., Black, M. M., & Banker, G. A.
- Affiliations
- Temple University (US)
- Albany Medical College (US)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 1988-11
- Volume
- 85
- Issue
- 21
- Pages
- 8335-8339
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC282424
- OpenAlex
- W1997122736
- Cited by
- 742
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 37 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 34 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 28 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 23
- FWCI
- 4.23
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS23530, NS 23094, NS 17681)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Axon Guidance and Neuronal Signaling
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Keywords
- microtubule polarity, hippocampal neurons, axons, dendrites, growth cones, microtubule organization, organelle distribution
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Axons, Dendrites, Hippocampus, Microscopy, Electron, Microscopy, Phase-Contrast, Microtubules, Neurons, Rats
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