Axonal transport moves proteins, RNAs, and organelles between the soma and synapses to support synaptic function and activity-dependent changes in synaptic strength. This transport is impaired in several neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Thus, it is critical to understand the regulation and underlying mechanisms of the transport process. Aplysia californica provides a powerful experimental system for studying the interplay between synaptic activity and transport because its defined synaptic circuits can be built in-vitro. Advantages include precise pre- and postsynaptic manipulation, and high-resolution imaging of axonal transport. Here, we describe methodologies for the quantitative analysis of axonal transport in Aplysia sensory neurons.
Keywords: Aplysia; Bidirectional transport; Kymograph; Live imaging; Mitochondria; Organelle density; Organelle transport; Transport quantification.
© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.