five questions about viral trafficking in neurons五个问题关于病毒贩卖神经元.pdfVIP

Pearls Five Questions about Viral Trafficking in Neurons L. W. Enquist* Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America Why Are We Interested in This Subject? maintaining their elaborate structures through the trafficking of all their cellular constituents. The neuronal cell body contains the One of the most exciting areas in biology is the nervous system core cellular components and the nucleus with all the cellular and how it works. Viral infections of the nervous system have RNA transcription machinery. These cells also have highly provided exceptional insight at many levels, from pathogenesis to specialized extensions of their cell body cytoplasm called basic biology. The nervous system has evolved rather complicated dendrites and axons (Figure 1). Dendrites can be branched barriers that facilitate access to nutrients and contact with the (sometimes extensively), and make connections (synapses) with outside world, but block entry of pathogens and toxins [1]. axons from other neurons. Axons are single extensions from the However, when these barriers are reduced for any number of neuronal cell body that cover long distances to connect with other reasons, nervous system infections are possible. When they occur, neurons and cells. Axons can branch and can be so long that they they can be devastating and, even with good antiviral drugs, contain the majority of neuronal cytoplasm [10]. They are the diffi