Long-term survival of severed crayfish giant axons is not associated with an incorporation of glial nuclei into axoplasm.
Glial nuclei have been reported to be incorporated into the axoplasm of surviving distal stumps (anucleate axons) weeks to months after lesioning abdominal motor axons in rock lobsters. We have not observed this phenomenon in crayfish medial giant axons (MGAs) which also survive for weeks to months after lesioning. Glial nuclei were not observed within MGAs perfused with a physiological intracellular saline. However, incorporation of glial nuclei was observed after MGAs were perfused with intracellular salines containing Fast green. From these and previously published data, we confirm that glial incorporation into axoplasm can occur, but we suggest that is is not a common mechanism used by crustaceans to provide for long-term survival of anucleate axons.
Sheller
R A
RA
Department of Zoology, University of Texas, Austin 78712.
Ballinger
M L
ML
Bittner
G D
GD
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D003400:Astacoidea / Q000502:physiology*; D001370:Axonal Transport / Q000502:physiology; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000502:physiology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; D016707:Tissue Fixation
D012394:Rosaniline Dyes; C035906:Fast Green