Ribosomes in axons – scrounging from the neighbors?

Decades of controversy regarding ribosome occurrence in axons are finally coalescing to a realization that the protein synthesis machinery is recruited and activated in both central and peripheral axons during development and in adult peripheral axons upon injury. Exciting recent findings indicate that ribosome recruitment to axons occurs via lateral transfer from glial cells, a mechanism that could be part of a continuum of intercellular communication systems including tunneling nanotubes and exosomes. Such transcellular interactions could have crucial roles in nervous system functions and will provide new avenues for research into long-standing problems.