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Neuronal trafficking is crucial to the formation and dynamics of presynaptic and postsynaptic structures and the development and maintenance of axonal and dendritic processes. The mechanism for delivering specific organelles and synaptic molecules in axons and dendrites primarily depends on molecular motor proteins that move along the cytoskeleton. Adaptor proteins, regulatory molecules and local signaling pathways provide additional layers of specificity and control over bidirectional movement, polarized transport and cargo delivery. Here we review recent advances and emerging concepts related to the transport machinery of crucial neuronal components, such as mitochondria and presynaptic cargoes, and the mechanisms that modulate their polarized axo-dendritic sorting and synaptic delivery., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nervous systems are built of a myriad of neurons connected by an even larger number of synapses. While it has been long known that neurons specifically select their synaptic partners among many possible choices during development, we only begin to understand how they make those decisions. Recent findings have started to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic target selection including positive as well as negative cues from synaptic partners, intermediate targets and surrounding tissues. Furthermore, emerging evidence suggests that synaptic connections are not only formed among specific sets of neurons, but also targeted to specific subcellular domains. Finally, spatial and temporal transcriptional regulation of these molecular cues represents an additional, versatile mechanism to provide wiring specificity., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)