title: Contribution of cytoskeletal elements to the axonal mechanical properties.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microtubules, microfilaments, and neurofilaments are cytoskeletal elements that affect cell morphology, cellular processes, and mechanical structures in neural cells. The objective of the current study was to investigate the contribution of each type of cytoskeletal element to the mechanical properties of axons of dorsal root and sympathetic ganglia cells in chick embryos.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microtubules, microfilaments, and neurofilaments in axons were disrupted by nocodazole, cytochalasin D, and acrylamide, respectively, or a combination of the three. An atomic force microscope (AFM) was then used to compress the treated axons, and the resulting corresponding force-deformation information was analyzed to estimate the mechanical properties of axons that were partially or fully disrupted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have found that the mechanical stiffness was most reduced in microtubules-disrupted-axons, followed by neurofilaments-disrupted- and microfilaments-disrupted-axons. This suggests that microtubules contribute the most of the mechanical stiffness to axons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette IN 47907, USA. riyi@purdue.edu.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nauman
authors.forename: Riyi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shi