Actin dynamics in the growth cone: a key player in axon regeneration.

Sérgio Carvalho Leite, Rita Pinto-Costa, Monica Mendes Sousa

Current opinion in neurobiology 2021 Aug

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Neuronal development, maintenance and function depends on the tight regulation of cytoskeleton organization and dynamics. Following injury, adult central nervous system neurons have a limited ability to regenerate and to recapitulate their robust developmental axon growth. This decreased regenerative capacity is set by their inability to establish regeneration-competent growth cones. Growth cones are actin-enriched structures that regulate axon extension rate and direction. During neuronal development, increasing actin dynamics in the growth cone through the regulation of the activity of specific actin-binding proteins leads to increased axon elongation. Here, we will focus on recent findings showing that enhanced axon regeneration in the adult nervous system can be achieved by promoting actin dynamics, or by decreasing actomyosin contraction in the growth cone. These discoveries underscore the importance of actin organization in the growth cone as a key factor to promote axon (re)growth that should be further explored in the future. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citation

Sérgio Carvalho Leite, Rita Pinto-Costa, Monica Mendes Sousa. Actin dynamics in the growth cone: a key player in axon regeneration. Current opinion in neurobiology. 2021 Aug;69:11-18