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MINIREVIEW

Spectrin and Ankyrin-Based Cytoskeletons at Polarized Domains in Myelinated Axons

Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030

To whom requests for reprints should be addressed at ¹ Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Room S611-MS: BCM295, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: rasband{at}bcm.edu

In myelinated nerve fibers, action potential initiation and propagation requires that voltage-gated ion channels be clustered at high density in the axon initial segments and nodes of Ranvier. The molecular organization of these subdomains depends on specialized cytoskeletal and scaffolding proteins such as spectrins, ankyrins, and 4.1 proteins. These cytoskeletal proteins are considered to be important for 1) formation, localization, and maintenance of specific integral membrane protein complexes, 2) a barrier restricting the diffusion of both cytoplasmic and membrane proteins to distinct regions or compartments of the cell, and 3) stabilization of axonal membrane integrity. Increased insights into the role of the cytoskeleton could provide important clues about the pathophysiology of various neurological disorders.

Key Words: axon initial segment • nodes of Ranvier • cytoskeleton • spectrin • ankyrin • protein 4.1