Figure 7.

Model for cytoskeletal mechanisms mediating axonal straightening. In two-DIV chick DRG neurons, the cortical actomyosin network contracts upon detachment induced by unknown feedback mechanisms, leading to the straightening of axons. The actomyosin network appears to be distributed along the length of the axon and is capable of local remodeling (indicated by pairs of arrows). At this stage, axons show a weakly periodic actin-spectrin MPS sparsely distributed along the axon length. This has not been included in the schematic. Microtubule sliding and rearrangement are likely to be necessary to accommodate the contraction. To see this figure in color, go online.