24 KDA GTP-BINDING PROTEINS IN OPTIC NERVE DYNAMICS

视网膜是脊椎动物的主要视觉器官。 视觉信息 由视网膜神经节神经元收集的信息通过 构成有髓鞘视神经的轴突。 这条神经除了 在视觉上至关重要，也是一个很好的系统， 研究膜性细胞器轴突运输及其前体 质膜和突触囊泡。 最近的研究表明， 切断的视神经可以至少部分地沿着沿着 周围神经移植并到达大脑的正确区域，从而 作为一个优秀的系统，以审查对中枢神经系统的要求 再生 最后，有证据表明， 老年痴呆症 几年来，我们一直在研究快速轴突运输 机械在兔子，最近在牛的视神经。 我们有非常 最近鉴定了一组低分子量GTP结合蛋白 与视神经快速转运囊泡和潜在靶点相关 膜，即突触质膜和突触囊泡。 鉴于 最近的证据确定了这类蛋白质的重要作用， 分泌和囊泡运输，我们提出了系统的 的结构、生物合成、定位和功能的研究 这些低分子量GTP结合蛋白。 我们将特别 将这些蛋白质定位在发育中的视网膜和视神经中。 我们将 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调查。 我们认为，这些研究将有希望揭示新的机制， 快速轴突运输在成人和发展中的视神经， 对中枢神经系统的发育有重要意义， 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.