Retraction: Andersen S. S. L. Real time large scale in vivo observations reveal intrinsic synchrony, plasticity and growth cone dynamics of midline crossing axons at the ventral floor plate of the zebrafish spinal cord. J. Integr. Neurosci. 18(4), 351-368.

The above-mentioned article (Andersen,2019), published online on December 30, 2019 has been withdrawn by Dr. Andersen. The retraction has been issued following additional information received by IMR Press and reviewed by the Chief Editor.

Real time large scale in vivo observations reveal intrinsic synchrony, plasticity and growth cone dynamics of midline crossing axons at the ventral floor plate of the zebrafish spinal cord.

How axons are wiring the vertebrate spinal cord has in particular been studied at the ventral floor plate using fixed samples or looking at single growing axons with various microscopy techniques. Thereby may remain hidden important live organismal scale information concerning dynamics and concurrent timing of the many axons simultaneously crossing the floor plate. Here then, applying light-sheet microscopy, axonal growth and guidance at the floor plate are followed in vivo in real time at high resolution along several hundred micrometers of the zebrafish spinal cord by using an interneuron expressing GFP as a model axon. The commissural axons are observed crossing the ventral floor plate midline perpendicularly at about 20 microns/h and in a manner dependent on the Robo3 receptor. Commissural growth rate reaches a minimum at the midline, confirming previous observations. Ipsilateral axons extend concurrently, at three to six times higher growth rates. At guidance points, commissural axons are seen to decrease their growth rate and growth cones increase in size. Commissural filopodia appear to interact with the nascent neural network, and thereby trigger immediate plastic and reversible sinusoidal-shaped bending movements of neighboring commissural shafts. A simple protocol isolating single neuronal cells from the spinal cord is developed to facilitate further molecular characterization. The recordings show the strikingly stereotyped spatio-temporal control that governs midline crossing. The live observations give renewed perspective on the mechanisms of axonal guidance in the spinal cord that provide for a discussion of the current distinction between diffusible long-range versus substrate-bound short-range guidance cues.

Towards a thermodynamic theory of nerve pulse propagation.

Nerve membranes consist of an approximately equal mixture of lipids and proteins. The propagation of nerve pulses is usually described with the ionic hypothesis, also known as the Hodgkin-Huxley model. This model assumes that proteins alone enable nerves to conduct signals due to the ability of various ion channel proteins to transport selectively sodium and potassium ions. While the ionic hypothesis describes electrical aspects of the action potential, it does not provide a theoretical framework for understanding other experimentally observed phenomena associated with nerve pulse propagation. This fact has led to a revised view of the action potential based on the laws of thermodynamics and the assumption that membrane lipids play a fundamental role in the propagation of nerve pulses. In general terms, we describe how pulses propagating in nerve membranes resemble propagating sound waves. We explain how the language of thermodynamics enables us to account for a number of phenomena not addressed by the ionic hypothesis. These include a thermodynamic explanation of the effect of anesthetics, the induction of action potentials by local nerve cooling, the physical expansion of nerves during pulse propagation, reversible heat production and the absence of net heat release during the action potential. We describe how these measurable features of a propagating nerve pulse, as well as the observed voltage change that accompanies an action potential, represent different aspects of a single phenomenon that can be predicted and explained by thermodynamics. We suggest that the proteins and lipids of the nerve membrane naturally constitute a single ensemble with thermodynamic properties appropriate for the description of a broad range of phenomena associated with a propagating nerve pulse.

The search and prime hypothesis for growth cone turning.

In the fields of axonal and dendritic guidance, there is now a significant accumulation of knowledge of how extracellular signaling molecules activate their cognate growth cone receptors. Relatively little is known about the subsequent activation of intracellular signaling pathways and actin reorganization, and very little is known about how microtubules (MTs) reorganize during growth cone turning. I hypothesize that dynamic MTs are required in order to catalyze the polarized actin assembly necessary for growth cone turning, that MTs and actin filaments promote each other's assembly through positive feedback, that MT stability is enhanced further through the formation of membrane-associated MT attachment sites, and that these MT stabilization events subsequently accelerate axonal/dendritic shaft formation.

Expression and purification of recombinant vesicular glutamate transporter VGLUT1 using PC12 cells and High Five insect cells.

In synaptic vesicles, the estimated concentration of the excitatory amino acid glutamate is 100-150 mM. It was recently discovered that VGLUT1, previously characterized as an inorganic phosphate transporter (BNPI) with 9-11 predicted transmembrane spanning domains, is capable of transporting glutamate. The expression and His-tag based purification of recombinant VGLUT1 from PC12 cells and High Five insect cells is described. Significantly better virus and protein expression was obtained using High Five rather than Sf9 insect cells. PC12 cell expressed VGLUT1 is functional but not the Baculovirus expressed protein. The lack of functionality of the Baculovirus expressed VGLUT1 is discussed. The data indicate that VGLUT1 readily oligomerizes/dimerizes. The data are discussed in the context of developing this system further in order to reconstitute vesicular glutamate uptake in vitro using lipid-detergent vesicles.

Toward reconstitution of in vivo microtubule dynamics in vitro.

The transition from interphase to mitosis is marked by a dramatic change in microtubule dynamics resulting in the reorganization of the microtubule network that culminates in mitotic spindle formation. While the molecular basis for this change in microtubule organization remains obscure, it is currently thought that a balance in the activity of microtubule stabilizing and destabilizing factors regulates how dynamic cellular microtubules are. By mixing the microtubule stabilizer XMAP215 and the microtubule destabilizer XKCM1, reconstitution of in vivo-like microtubule dynamics has now been achieved in vitro.