Preserve and protect: maintaining axons within functional circuits

SE Pease, RA Segal - Trends in neurosciences, 2014 - cell.com
SE Pease, RA Segal
Trends in neurosciences, 2014cell.com
During development, neural circuits are initially generated by exuberant innervation and are
rapidly refined by selective preservation and elimination of axons. The establishment and
maintenance of functional circuits therefore requires coordination of axon survival and
degeneration pathways. Both developing and mature circuits rely on interdependent
mitochondrial and cytoskeletal components to maintain axonal health and homeostasis;
injury or diseases that impinge on these components frequently cause pathologic axon loss …
During development, neural circuits are initially generated by exuberant innervation and are rapidly refined by selective preservation and elimination of axons. The establishment and maintenance of functional circuits therefore requires coordination of axon survival and degeneration pathways. Both developing and mature circuits rely on interdependent mitochondrial and cytoskeletal components to maintain axonal health and homeostasis; injury or diseases that impinge on these components frequently cause pathologic axon loss. Here, we review recent findings that identify mechanisms of axonal preservation in the contexts of development, injury, and disease.
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