Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Dev Neurobiol. 2011 Jun;71(6):474-82. doi: 10.1002/dneu.20843.
Neurons are highly polarized cells with distinct domains responsible for receiving, transmitting, and propagating electrical signals. Central to these functions is the axon initial segment (AIS), a short region of the axon adjacent to the cell body that is enriched in voltage-gated ion channels, cell adhesion molecules, and cytoskeletal scaffolding proteins. Traditionally, the function of the AIS has been limited to its role in action potential initiation and modulation. However, recent experiments indicate that it also plays essential roles in neuronal polarity. Here, we review how initial segments are assembled, and discuss proposed mechanisms for how the AIS contributes to maintenance of neuronal polarity.
神经元是具有高度极化特性的细胞,其不同的结构域分别负责接收、传递和传播电信号。这些功能的核心是轴突起始段(AIS),它是轴突紧邻细胞体的一小段区域,富含电压门控离子通道、细胞黏附分子和细胞骨架支架蛋白。传统上,AIS 的功能仅限于其在动作电位起始和调制中的作用。然而,最近的实验表明,它在神经元极性维持中也起着至关重要的作用。在这里,我们回顾了初始段的组装方式,并讨论了 AIS 如何有助于维持神经元极性的可能机制。