Kinetics of Slow Axonal Transport and Shape of Axon

The mechanical integrity of the axon in mature axons is provided by neurofilaments(NF). NFs move through the axon at the average slow rate of $0.5$mm/day, characterized by bursts of movement and extended pauses in between. The local number of NFs determines the local axonal caliber and as a result, the kinetics of NF movement determines the overall shape of the axon. We developed a kinetic model for movement of NFs based on live cell-imaging (J Neurosci. 2007,27:507, Mol Biol Cell. 2005, 16:4243). We use this model to predict changes in axonal morphology upon local modifications of the kinetics by e.g. factors released by myelin.