Accelerators, Brakes, and Gears of Actin Dynamics in Dendritic Spines

摘要: Dendritic spines are actin-rich structures that accommodate the postsynaptic sites of most excitatory synapses in brain. Although dendritic form and mature as synaptic connections develop, they remain plastic even adult brain, where can rapidly grow, change, or collapse response to normal physiological changes activity underlie learning memory. Pathological stimuli adversely affect spine shape number, this is seen neurodegenerative disorders some forms mental retardation autism well. Many molecular signals control these act through regulation filamentous actin (F-actin), direct interaction with actin, others via downstream effectors. For example, cortactin, cofilin, gelsolin actin-binding proteins directly regulate dynamics spines. Activities precisely regulated by intracellular signaling events their phosphorylation state localization. In review, we discuss how actin-regulating maintain balance between F-actin assembly disassembly needed stabilize spines, activities may lead rapid remodeling