Dysfunction of axonal transport in neuropathies and motor neuron diseases

Sensory neurons and motor neurons are particularly vulnerable to axonal transport defects due to the length of their axons. Several mutations have recently been identified in genes coding for cytoskeletal or motor proteins as causative factors in various neurodegenerative diseases. This review synthesizes the main defects found in inherited peripheral neuropathies and in motor neuron diseases as well as in mouse models of these disorders.