One-dimensional deterministic transport in neurons measured by dispersion-relation phase spectroscopy.

We studied the active transport of intracellular components along neuron processes using a new method developed in our laboratory: dispersion-relation phase spectroscopy. This method is able to quantitatively map spatially the heterogeneous dynamics of the concentration field of the cargos at submicron resolution without the need for tracking individual components. The results in terms of density correlation function reveal that the decay rate is linear in wavenumber, which is consistent with a narrow Lorentzian distribution of cargo velocity.