Retrograde Axonal Transport in the Central Nervous System

When horseradish peroxidase is injected into the optic tectum of a chick, axons of ganglion cells transport it centripetally to their cell bodies in the retina at a rate of about 72 millimeters per day. After intraocular injections in the young chick, the peroxidase is transported centripetally along efferent axons, and is concentrated in cell bodies within the isthmo-optic nucleus. This retrograde movement of protein from axon terminal to cell body suggests a possible mechanism by which neurons respond to their target areas.