Barriers in the Brain: Resolving Dendritic Spine Morphology and Compartmentalization
Dendritic spines are micron-sized protrusions that harbor the majority of excitatory synapses in the central nervous system. The head of the spine is connected to the dendritic shaft by a 50-400 nm thin membrane tube, called the spine neck, which has been hypothesized to confine biochemical and elec...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2014-12-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroanatomy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnana.2014.00142/full |
| _version_ | 1819239800394219520 |
|---|---|
| author | Max eAdrian Remy eKusters Corette J Wierenga Cornelis eStorm Casper C Hoogenraad Lukas C Kapitein |
| author_facet | Max eAdrian Remy eKusters Corette J Wierenga Cornelis eStorm Casper C Hoogenraad Lukas C Kapitein |
| author_sort | Max eAdrian |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Dendritic spines are micron-sized protrusions that harbor the majority of excitatory synapses in the central nervous system. The head of the spine is connected to the dendritic shaft by a 50-400 nm thin membrane tube, called the spine neck, which has been hypothesized to confine biochemical and electric signals within the spine compartment. Such compartmentalization could minimize interspinal crosstalk and thereby support spine-specific synapse plasticity. However, to what extent compartmentalization is governed by spine morphology, and in particular the diameter of the spine neck, has remained unresolved. Here, we review recent advances in tool development - both experimental and theoretical - that facilitate studying the role of the spine neck in compartmentalization. Special emphasis is given to recent advances in microscopy methods and quantitative modeling applications as we discuss compartmentalization of biochemical signals, membrane receptors and electrical signals in spines. Multidisciplinary approaches should help to answer how dendritic spine architecture affects the cellular and molecular processes required for synapse maintenance and modulation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T13:57:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4e2f5188605f423cbce7e02f7c460fb6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5129 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T13:57:53Z |
| publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroanatomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-4e2f5188605f423cbce7e02f7c460fb62022-12-21T17:44:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroanatomy1662-51292014-12-01810.3389/fnana.2014.00142111144Barriers in the Brain: Resolving Dendritic Spine Morphology and CompartmentalizationMax eAdrian0Remy eKusters1Corette J Wierenga2Cornelis eStorm3Casper C Hoogenraad4Lukas C Kapitein5Utrecht UniversityEindhoven University of TechnologyUtrecht UniversityEindhoven University of TechnologyUtrecht UniversityUtrecht UniversityDendritic spines are micron-sized protrusions that harbor the majority of excitatory synapses in the central nervous system. The head of the spine is connected to the dendritic shaft by a 50-400 nm thin membrane tube, called the spine neck, which has been hypothesized to confine biochemical and electric signals within the spine compartment. Such compartmentalization could minimize interspinal crosstalk and thereby support spine-specific synapse plasticity. However, to what extent compartmentalization is governed by spine morphology, and in particular the diameter of the spine neck, has remained unresolved. Here, we review recent advances in tool development - both experimental and theoretical - that facilitate studying the role of the spine neck in compartmentalization. Special emphasis is given to recent advances in microscopy methods and quantitative modeling applications as we discuss compartmentalization of biochemical signals, membrane receptors and electrical signals in spines. Multidisciplinary approaches should help to answer how dendritic spine architecture affects the cellular and molecular processes required for synapse maintenance and modulation.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnana.2014.00142/fullDendritic SpinesDiffusioncompartmentalizationmathematical modellingsuper-resolution microscopy |
| spellingShingle | Max eAdrian Remy eKusters Corette J Wierenga Cornelis eStorm Casper C Hoogenraad Lukas C Kapitein Barriers in the Brain: Resolving Dendritic Spine Morphology and Compartmentalization Frontiers in Neuroanatomy Dendritic Spines Diffusion compartmentalization mathematical modelling super-resolution microscopy |
| title | Barriers in the Brain: Resolving Dendritic Spine Morphology and Compartmentalization |
| title_full | Barriers in the Brain: Resolving Dendritic Spine Morphology and Compartmentalization |
| title_fullStr | Barriers in the Brain: Resolving Dendritic Spine Morphology and Compartmentalization |
| title_full_unstemmed | Barriers in the Brain: Resolving Dendritic Spine Morphology and Compartmentalization |
| title_short | Barriers in the Brain: Resolving Dendritic Spine Morphology and Compartmentalization |
| title_sort | barriers in the brain resolving dendritic spine morphology and compartmentalization |
| topic | Dendritic Spines Diffusion compartmentalization mathematical modelling super-resolution microscopy |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnana.2014.00142/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT maxeadrian barriersinthebrainresolvingdendriticspinemorphologyandcompartmentalization AT remyekusters barriersinthebrainresolvingdendriticspinemorphologyandcompartmentalization AT corettejwierenga barriersinthebrainresolvingdendriticspinemorphologyandcompartmentalization AT cornelisestorm barriersinthebrainresolvingdendriticspinemorphologyandcompartmentalization AT casperchoogenraad barriersinthebrainresolvingdendriticspinemorphologyandcompartmentalization AT lukasckapitein barriersinthebrainresolvingdendriticspinemorphologyandcompartmentalization |