24 KDA GTP-BINDING PROTEINS IN OPTIC NERVE DYNAMICS

脊椎动物的视网膜是主要的视觉器官。视觉信息 由视网膜神经节神经元收集的信息通过 构成有髓视神经的轴突。这种神经，除了 在视觉上的关键重要性，也是一个很好的系统 膜细胞器及其前体轴突运输的研究 质膜和突触小泡。最近有证据表明， 切断的视神经可以，至少部分地，沿着 周围神经移植并到达大脑的正确区域，因此 作为审查CNS要求的优秀系统 再生。最后，有证据表明视神经病变 阿尔茨海默氏症。 几年来，我们一直在研究轴突的快速运输 兔的机器，以及最近的牛视神经。我们有非常多的 最近鉴定了一组低分子量GTP结合蛋白 与视神经快速运输相关的囊泡和潜在靶点 膜，即突触质膜和突触小泡。鉴于…… 最近的证据表明，这一蛋白质类别在 分泌和囊泡运输，我们提出了一种系统的 肌动蛋白的结构、生物合成、定位和功能研究 这些低分子量的GTP结合蛋白。我们将特别 将这些蛋白质定位于发育中的视网膜和视神经。我们会 采用生物化学、组织培养、免疫细胞化学和 视频增强显微镜在这些研究中的应用。 我们认为，这些研究有望为这一机制带来新的曙光。 成人的快速轴突运输和发育中的视神经可能 对中枢神经系统的发展有重大影响，并可能， 再生。

The vertebrate retina is the primary visual organ. Visual information collected by the retinal ganglion neurons is transmitted to the brain via axons which make up the myelinated optic nerve. This nerve, besides being of key importance in vision, also serves as an excellent system to investigate axonal transport of membranous organelles and precursors of plasma membranes and synaptic vesicles. It has recently been shown that the severed optic nerve can, at least in part, regenerate along a peripheral nerve graft and reach the correct region of the brain, thus serving as an excellent system to examine the requirements for CNS regeneration. Finally, there is evidence of optic nerve pathology in Alzheimer's disease. For several years we have been investigating the rapid axonal transport machinery in rabbit, and more recently in bovine optic nerve. We have very recently characterized a group of low molecular weight GTP binding proteins associated with optic nerve rapid transport vesicles and potential target membranes, i.e. synaptic plasma membrane and synaptic vesicles. In view of the recent evidences defining an important role of this protein class in secretion and vesicular transport, we have proposed a systematic investigation of the structure, biosynthesis, localization and function of these low molecular weight GTP binding proteins. We will particularly localize these proteins in the developing retina and optic nerve. We will employ methods of biochemistry, tissue culture, immunocytochemistry and video intensification microscopy in these investigations. We feel that these studies will, hopefully, shed new light on the mechanism of rapid axonal transport in adult and developing optic nerve which may have significant implications for CNS development and potentially, regeneration.