title: Movement of organelles along filaments dissociated from the axoplasm of the squid giant axon.
abstract: Cytoplasmic filaments, separated from the axoplasm of the squid giant axon and visualized by video-enhanced differential interference contrast microscopy, support the directed movement of organelles in the presence of ATP. All organelles, regardless of size, move continuously along isolated transport filaments at 2.2 +/- 0.2 micron/sec. In the intact axoplasm, however, movements of the larger organelles are slow and saltatory. These movements may reflect a resistance to movement imposed by the intact axoplasm. The uniform rate of all organelles along isolated transport filaments suggests that a single type of molecular motor powers fast axonal transport. Organelles can attach to and move along more than one filament at a time, suggesting that organelles have multiple binding sites for this motor.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Vale
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Schnapp
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Reese
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Sheetz
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D049832:Decapodiformes
chemical_list: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate