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Synaptic plasticity

Dendritic spines shape up

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 6, page 501 (2005)Cite this article

The regulation of synaptic plasticity depends on increases in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i), mediated by glutamate receptors that are sensitive to NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate). Synaptic function and plasticity are thought to depend on the structure of synapses, and long-term plasticity seems to occur more efficiently in smaller spines. However, the relationship between spine structure, including spine neck structure, and NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent Ca2+ signalling has, until now, not been established.

Kasai and colleagues used two-photon excitation to uncage and activate a glutamate compound to specifically apply glutamate to various types of dendritic spine in rat CA1 pyramidal neurons, thereby allowing selective induction of NMDAR-dependent long-term plasticity. They coupled this method with Ca2+ imaging to determine the relationship between the structure of spines in these neurons and NMDAR-mediated Ca2+ signalling.

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References

ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Noguchi, J. et al. Spine-neck geometry determines NMDA receptor-dependent Ca2+ signaling in dendrites. Neuron 46, 609–622 (2005)

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FURTHER READING

  1. Segal, M. Dendritic spines and long-term plasticity. Nature Rev. Neurosci. 6, 277–284 (2005)

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Authors
  1. Alison Rowan
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Rowan, A. Dendritic spines shape up. Nat Rev Neurosci 6, 501 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1711

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