Neuron
Volume 94, Issue 2, 19 April 2017, Pages 304-311.e4
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Formation and Maintenance of Functional Spines in the Absence of Presynaptic Glutamate Release

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2017.03.029Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Elimination of presynaptic transmitter release in hippocampal organotypic slices

  • Dendrite growth and maintenance are independent of presynaptic glutamate release

  • Spine formation and maintenance are independent of presynaptic glutamate release

  • Recruitment of NMDA/AMPA receptors is independent of presynaptic glutamate release

Summary

Dendritic spines are the major transmitter reception compartments of glutamatergic synapses in most principal neurons of the mammalian brain and play a key role in the function of nerve cell circuits. The formation of functional spine synapses is thought to be critically dependent on presynaptic glutamatergic signaling. By analyzing CA1 pyramidal neurons in mutant hippocampal slice cultures that are essentially devoid of presynaptic transmitter release, we demonstrate that the formation and maintenance of dendrites and functional spines are independent of synaptic glutamate release.

Keywords

dendrite formation
spine formation
activity dependence
glutamate release
synaptogenesis
glutamate uncaging

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5

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