Jacobs J R, Stevens J K
J Cell Biol. 1986 Sep;103(3):907-15. doi: 10.1083/jcb.103.3.907.
The microtubule-depolymerizing drug Nocodazole has been used to experimentally manipulate the form of PC12 neurites. Both time-lapse photography and serial electron microscopy demonstrate that microtubule depolymerization leads to varicosity formation due to a clustering of membranous organelles in young neurites (nerve growth factor activated within 7 d). Neurites that have been nerve growth factor activated 7 or more d before Nocodazole application are resistant to microtubule depolymerization. These data and data from previous papers has been combined in an attempt to predict quantitatively the volume and the shape of a neurite. The relationship is described mathematically by Vn = 4.52 Vo + 0.0054 MTl, where Vn is local neurite volume, Vo is organelle volume, and MTl is MT length (the constant, 0.0054 is micron2), and 4.52 is the obligatory volume constant derived from serial electron microscopic studies. The equation predicts the total volume of neurites despite alterations of morphology due to Nocodazole and despite changes in morphology during development.
微管解聚药物诺考达唑已被用于实验性地操控PC12神经突的形态。延时摄影和连续电子显微镜观察均表明，微管解聚会导致幼龄神经突（在7天内被神经生长因子激活）中膜性细胞器聚集，从而形成膨体。在应用诺考达唑之前7天或更长时间已被神经生长因子激活的神经突对微管解聚具有抗性。这些数据与之前论文中的数据相结合，试图定量预测神经突的体积和形状。这种关系通过数学公式Vn = 4.52 Vo + 0.0054 MTl来描述，其中Vn是局部神经突体积，Vo是细胞器体积，MTl是微管长度（常数0.0054的单位是平方微米），4.52是源自连续电子显微镜研究的必需体积常数。该方程能够预测神经突的总体积，尽管诺考达唑会导致形态改变，且发育过程中形态也会发生变化。
