# AGING CHANGES IN NEURONAL FUNCTION AND STRUCTURE

> **NIH NIH R01** · CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · 1991 · $185,599

## Abstract

During postnatal development and continuing through the aging process,
there are changes in the dynamic metabolic processes that maintain the
structural and functional properties of axons. For
exampIe, the rate of slow transport decreases during maturation and
aging. Our studies are aimed at elucidating the cell biological
mechanisms that produce these changes in aging axons. To achieve this
goal, we are examining the factors that affect the translocation of
cytoskeletal polymers in axons. Our premise is that the slow transport
mechanisms operate by producing polymer sliding movements. To directly
examine polymer sliding in axons we have developed a new experimental
method for slowly stretching axoplasm at rates approaching those of slow
transport. With this method the resistance of polymers to sliding can be
measured directly. In addition, we are using the electron microscope to
study the interactions between axonal neurofilaments in axons with
different slow transport rates. If these interactions are imporant
determinants of transport rate, then the organization of the
neurofilaments should correlate with the rate of transport.

Cytoskeletal and membranous elements are transported to the axon terminal
and they provide the materials for axon terminal structures. The amount
of material available at the terminal is determined by the rate of supply
to the terminal and removal from the terminal. In aging terminals, the
balance between supply and removal changes and in some neurons excess
membranous and cytoskeletal elements accumulate at the terminals. This
excess may be produced by a decrease in the rate of removal from the axon
terminal. To examine this possibility, we are using radioisotopic
methods, to determine whether the rate of removal changes during aging.
These studies will contribute to understanding the mechanisms that
normally operate to remove excess materials from axon terminals and to
understanding how changes in these mechanisms contribute to changes in
the properties of axon terminals during aging.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3120690
- **Project number:** 5R01AG008887-03
- **Recipient organization:** CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** HJMKEF7EJW69
- **Principal Investigator:** RAYMOND J LASEK
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1991
- **Award amount:** $185,599
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1989-05-02 → 1994-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3120690

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3120690, AGING CHANGES IN NEURONAL FUNCTION AND STRUCTURE (5R01AG008887-03). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3120690. Licensed CC0.

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