Neurobiology of Actin

Neurons are characterized by a complex, dynamic and highly polarized morphology. Actin and its regulatory proteins are the most abundant set of proteins within cells, and they form one of the major cytoskeletal systems-the actin filament cytoskeleton. While much has been learned about the roles of the actin cytoskeleton in non-neuronal cells, our understanding of the full spectrum of the functions of actin in neurons is far from complete. This book is an introduction to the interface between the actin cytoskeleton and the myriad of issues fundamental to the understanding of nervous system function.Neurobiology of Actin: From Neurulation to Synaptic Function opens with a chapter that presents the fundamental concepts required to appreciate the details of the molecular machinery that regulates actin in a cellular context, setting the stage for the first part of the book which reviews the neurobiology of actin at the cellular level. The second section of the book then discusses the functions of actin in the context of neurobiological issues ranging from early development to synaptic function and disease states of the nervous system.This text is intended for neuroscientists interested in investigating the actin cytoskeleton in the context of their particular neuroscience research program, and its chapters are cross-referenced in order to assist readers in finding relevant information that is covered in greater depth in other chapters.

Examining the interface between the actin cytoskeleton and the myriad issues fundamental to the understanding of the nervous system, this text covers actins neurobiology, from its basic cellular organization and function to its roles in health and disease.

Introduction to the Neurobiology of Actin.- The Neuronal Actin Cytoskeleton and the Protrusion of Lamellipodia and Filopodia.- Regulation of Actin Filaments During Neurite Extension and Guidance.- Functions of Myosin Motor Proteins in the Nervous System.- Microtubule-Actin Interactions During Neuronal Development.- Working with Actin: Methodological Approaches for the Study of Actin in Neurons.- Functions of the Actin Cytoskeleton in the Early Embryology of the Nervous System.- Actin Cytoskeletal Regulation in Neuronal Migration.- Actin and Neuronal Polarity.- Actin at the Synapse: Contribution to Pre and Post-synaptic Functions.- Actin and Diseases of the Nervous System.- Signal Transduction Pathways: From Receptor to the Actin Cytoskeleton.