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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Mar 7.
Published in final edited form as: Neuron. 2012 Mar 8;73(5):886–901. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.02.017

Figure 1. A variety of non-cell autonomous factors influence neuronal survival.

Figure 1

Neurons receive synaptic input (1), delivering both neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors (2) that sustain neuronal survival. Neurodegenerative diseases can alter synaptic input by inhibiting anterograde axonal transport (3) and/or axon degeneration (4), resulting in decreased release of transmitters and neurotrophic peptides. (5) Failed retrograde transport as well as molecular dysfunction in target neurons or in non-neural target organs (e.g. muscle and blood vessels) can also damage presynaptic neurons, mimicking events that occur during development, when pathways of target-dependent neuronal survival are active.