Melissa Long
Microtubule organization is crucial to neuronal growth and neurodegenerative disease development since microtubules are structurally important in neurons. The mechanisms involved in localizing essential organization proteins to microtubule generation sites are unclear and warrant investigation. We hypothesize that clathrin-mediated endocytosis internalizes signaling receptors to form the endosomes that recruit localization machinery. Key experiments include characterizing neuronal clathrin behavior at baseline and after axon injury and determining the impact of endocytosis inhibition on organizational protein levels.