Dendritic spine development Flashcards
Where are dendritic spines found?
Dendritic spines form the postsynaptic components of most excitatory synapses
What does the morphology of a dendritic spine indicate?
Shape and size are correlated with the strength of the synapse
What happens in the postsynaptic density during long term potentiation?
LTP causes remodeling og the actin cytoskeleton and growth -> it gets bigger and stronger
What causes dendritic spines to increase in size in adults?
Learning (activation/long term potentiation (LTP))
What type of neurons typically have spines?
Excitatory neurons (glutamatergic)
How does spine morphology change as they mature
They go from a filopodium structure to a mushroom structure.
What are the most common disorders related to dysregulated dendritic spine formation?
Alzheimers disease, Schizophrenia and Autism
What proteins are most important in initiation of spine formation
MIM and actin recruitment
What is the role of MIM in dendritic spine formation?
MIM positively controls spine density, it dimerizes and curves the membrane. It also recruits actin filaments.
What drives elongation of a dendritic spine?
Actin polymerization
What are the hallmarks of dendritic spine formation and growth?
Initiation, elongation and growth and stabilization of the spine head
What protein is important for spine head stabilization?
The Arp2/3 complex.
It regulates the initiation of actin polymerization and the organization of filaments into y-branched networks
