Summary

A major issue of modern neurobiology is to understand how neurons extend their neurites to form a functional network. While a large amount of information is available on the extracellular mechanisms driving neuritogenesis, the study of the intricate molecular machinery underlying the intracellular mechanisms has only recently been addressed. The purpose of this book is to present novel, distinct, but highly related aspects of the intracellular mechanisms required for the formation of a functional neurite, which include cytoskeletal organization, membrane traffic, and signal transduction. In particular, the proposed authors would address the importance of the integration among distinct aspects of the cell biology of developing neurons involved in neurite extension. The aim of the book is to present this topic to the general readership of neurobiologists and molecular and cellular biologists to further stimulate the interest into this exciting section of neurobiology. Moreover, the book could represent a reference for researchers directly involved in the study of neuronal development, and a textbook for PhD courses in molecular neurobiology The authors contributing to this book are all internationally recognized leaders in their respective fields of research, and the work from their laboratories embodies state of the art approaches to address this fundamental aspect of molecular neurobiology.