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Working with Actin: Methodological Approaches for the Study of Actin in Neurons

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Neurobiology of Actin

Part of the book series: Advances in Neurobiology ((NEUROBIOL,volume 5))

Abstract

Throughout the life of an organism, the cytoskeleton plays fundamental roles in many physiological processes. An important component of the cytoskeleton is actin, in both filamentous (F-actin) and globular form (G-actin). In the nervous system, actin functions in many processes from neuronal determination to synapse formation. Actin is dynamic, continuously transiting between polymer and monomer with the aid of myriad actin-associated proteins. Filamentous actin can produce several secondary structures within the cell, including filopodia, lamellipodia, veils , and dendritic spines. Actin can also be manipulated with a number of peptide toxins that stabilize or destabilize the actin cytoskeleton in specific ways. This chapter will discuss several techniques for studying actin in the nervous system.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Erik W. Dent

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  1. Erik W. Dent
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Correspondence to Erik W. Dent .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Dept Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 Queen Lane, Philadelphia, 19129, Pennsylvania, USA

    Gianluca Gallo

  2. 4-140 MCB, Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, 321 Church St., Minneapolis, 55455, Minnesota, USA

    Lorene M. Lanier

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Dent, E.W. (2011). Working with Actin: Methodological Approaches for the Study of Actin in Neurons. In: Gallo, G., Lanier, L. (eds) Neurobiology of Actin. Advances in Neurobiology, vol 5. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7368-9_6

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