Velocity of axonal transport of phospholipid in rat sciatic nerve.

The difficulties involved in measuring axonal transport velocity for phospholipid in mammalian axons have been overcome by using a reversible local cold-block technique which causes a local accumulation of labeled phospholipid in rat sciatic nerve that follows injection of [methyl 3H]choline chloride into the L5 dorsal root ganglion. On rewarming the nerve a distinct front of [3H]-activity moves distally from the cold-block site at 17.8 mm X h-1, a velocity not significantly different from that previously determined for protein. This observation provides further support for the hypothesis that fast axonal transport conveys membranes assembled in the cell body.