Secretory trafficking in neuronal dendrites

The neuronal secretory pathway represents the intracellular route for proteins involved in synaptic transmission and plasticity, as well as lipids required for outgrowth and remodelling of dendrites and axons. Although neurons use the same secretory compartments as other eukaryotic cells, the enormous distances involved, as well as the unique morphology of the neuron and its signalling requirements, challenge canonical models of secretory pathway organization. Here, we review evidence for a distributed secretory pathway in neurons, suggest mechanisms that may regulate secretory compartment distribution, and discuss the implications of a distributed secretory pathway for neuronal morphogenesis and neural-circuit plasticity.