Axonal transport disruption in peripheral nerve disease

Abstract

Many neurodegenerative diseases and neuropathies have been proposed to be caused by a disruption of axonal transport. However, the mechanisms whereby impaired transport causes disease remain unclear. Proposed mechanisms include impairment in delivery of organelles such as mitochondria, defective retrograde neurotrophic signaling, and disruption of the synaptic vesicle cycle within the synaptic terminal. Simple model organisms such as the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, allow live imaging of axonal transport to be combined with high-throughput genetic screens and are providing insights into the pathophysiology of peripheral nerve diseases.