Abstract
SummaryMuch of our knowledge on the roles of intra-axonal translation derives from the characterization of a small number of individual mRNAs that were found to be localized in axons. However, two recent studies, using large-scale approaches to provide a more comprehensive characterization of the axonal transcriptome, have led to the discovery of thousands of axonal mRNAs. The apparent abundance of mRNAs in axons raises the possibility that local translation has many more functions than previously thought. Here, we review the recent studies that have profiled axonal mRNAs and discuss how the identification of axonal transcripts might point to unappreciated roles for local translation in axons.
Highlights
A major challenge in axonal biology has been to determine which aspects of axonal function depend on local translation and to identify the transcripts that mediate these effects
The recent large-scale profiling studies of axons have highlighted the complexity of the axonal transcriptome and have identified novel mRNAs that are likely to have functional roles in various aspects of axonal biology
It is possible that the phenomenon of mRNA trafficking to axons could reflect an adaptation to the culturing environment
Summary
Much of our knowledge on the roles of intra-axonal translation derives from the characterization of a small number of individual mRNAs that were found to be localized in axons. Two recent studies, using large-scale approaches to provide a more comprehensive characterization of the axonal transcriptome, have led to the discovery of thousands of axonal mRNAs. The apparent abundance of mRNAs in axons raises the possibility that local translation has many more functions than previously thought. We review the recent studies that have profiled axonal mRNAs and discuss how the identification of axonal transcripts might point to unappreciated roles for local translation in axons
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