Kyle E Miller, Francesca Oprea, Sajid Alam, Ania Grodsky, Erin M Craig
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Although synaptic evolution has been extensively studied, how axons first arose remains unexplored. Because evolution often occurs by coopting existing features, we review the evolutionary histories, biophysics, and cell biology of cytokinesis, cell crawling, and ciliogenesis to explore the origin of axons. Although we found that cilia and axons are outwardly similar, and growth cones strongly resemble the leading edge of crawling cells, the biophysical processes and the critical proteins that drive each seem weakly linked to axons as a structure. In contrast, the traction force machinery that pulls daughter cells apart during cytokinesis and the cytoskeletal organization of cytokinetic bridges appear to have a one-to-one correspondence to neuronal growth cones and axons. Based on these observations, we propose the hypothesis that axons evolved due to mutations that partially activated cytokinesis in an interphase cell. To rigorously test this hypothesis, we suggest conducting systematic phylogenetic analysis of the genes essential for each process, paired with molecular genetic studies in which critical genes are systematically disrupted. Doing so will provide a framework for understanding the relationship between diverse cellular processes, the early evolution of neurons, and insights that could potentially assist in treating cancer and promoting neuronal regeneration.
期刊介绍:
MBoC publishes research articles that present conceptual advances of broad interest and significance within all areas of cell, molecular, and developmental biology. We welcome manuscripts that describe advances with applications across topics including but not limited to: cell growth and division; nuclear and cytoskeletal processes; membrane trafficking and autophagy; organelle biology; quantitative cell biology; physical cell biology and mechanobiology; cell signaling; stem cell biology and development; cancer biology; cellular immunology and microbial pathogenesis; cellular neurobiology; prokaryotic cell biology; and cell biology of disease.