In vitro growth conditions and development affect differential distributions of RNA in axonal growth cones and shafts of cultured rat hippocampal neurons.

Local synthesis of proteins in the axons participates in axonogenesis and axon guidance to establish appropriate synaptic connections and confer plasticity. To study the transcripts present in the growth cones and axonal shafts of cultured rat hippocampal neurons, two chip devices, differing in their abilities to support axonal growth and branching, are designed and employed here to isolate large quantities of axonal materials. Cone-, shaft- and axon-residing transcripts with amounts higher than that of a somatodendritic transcript, Actg1 (γ-actin), are selected and classified.