Did Axons Evolve by Activating Cytokinesis During Interphase? A Hypothesis on the Origin of Neurons.
Axons may have evolved by activating cell division during interphase, a revolutionary hypothesis that could unlock insights into neuron origins, cancer treatment, and nerve regeneration.
This research paper explores the evolutionary origins of axons, the long projections of neurons. By reviewing the histories, biophysics, and cell biology of related processes like cytokinesis, cell crawling, and ciliogenesis, the authors propose a novel hypothesis: axons may have evolved from mutations that partially activated cell division during interphase. To test this idea, the researchers suggest conducting phylogenetic analyses and molecular genetic studies to understand the relationships between these diverse cellular mechanisms and their implications for the early evolution of neurons, as well as potential applications in cancer and neuronal regeneration.