Laferrière N B, MacRae T H, Brown D L
Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Biochem Cell Biol. 1997;75(2):103-17.
Neurons are highly polarized cells that extend long processes, the axons and dendrites, to form contacts with target cells. The formation and maintenance of this specialized morphology relies on the assembly of an organized microtubule array that is the predominant component of the neuronal cytoskeleton. During this process there is an evolution in the composition and dynamics of microtubules, resulting in stable microtubule bundles that provide structural support and function in intracellular transport along the axon. In this essay we provide an overview of the mechanisms regulating the synthesis and assembly of tubulin in differentiating neurons with particular attention to the roles of multiple tubulin isotypes, posttranslational modifications of tubulin, and microtubule-associated proteins. We conclude that, ultimately, the developmental regulation of microtubules in neurons may require the coordinated expression and posttranslational modifications of tubulin and microtubule-associated proteins to provide biochemical forms that favour specific interactions, each combination conferring distinctive dynamic and functional properties.
神经元是高度极化的细胞，它们伸出长长的突起，即轴突和树突，以与靶细胞形成接触。这种特殊形态的形成和维持依赖于有组织的微管阵列的组装，微管阵列是神经元细胞骨架的主要成分。在此过程中，微管的组成和动力学发生演变，形成稳定的微管束，这些微管束提供结构支持并在沿轴突的细胞内运输中发挥作用。在本文中，我们概述了调节分化神经元中微管蛋白合成和组装的机制，特别关注多种微管蛋白亚型、微管蛋白的翻译后修饰以及微管相关蛋白的作用。我们得出结论，最终，神经元中微管的发育调节可能需要微管蛋白和微管相关蛋白的协调表达和翻译后修饰，以提供有利于特定相互作用的生化形式，每种组合都赋予独特的动态和功能特性。
