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Rasia-Filho AA, Calcagnotto ME, von Bohlen Und Halbach O. Introduction: What Are Dendritic Spines? ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 34:1-68. [PMID: 37962793 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-36159-3_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Dendritic spines are cellular specializations that greatly increase the connectivity of neurons and modulate the "weight" of most postsynaptic excitatory potentials. Spines are found in very diverse animal species providing neural networks with a high integrative and computational possibility and plasticity, enabling the perception of sensorial stimuli and the elaboration of a myriad of behavioral displays, including emotional processing, memory, and learning. Humans have trillions of spines in the cerebral cortex, and these spines in a continuum of shapes and sizes can integrate the features that differ our brain from other species. In this chapter, we describe (1) the discovery of these small neuronal protrusions and the search for the biological meaning of dendritic spines; (2) the heterogeneity of shapes and sizes of spines, whose structure and composition are associated with the fine-tuning of synaptic processing in each nervous area, as well as the findings that support the role of dendritic spines in increasing the wiring of neural circuits and their functions; and (3) within the intraspine microenvironment, the integration and activation of signaling biochemical pathways, the compartmentalization of molecules or their spreading outside the spine, and the biophysical properties that can affect parent dendrites. We also provide (4) examples of plasticity involving dendritic spines and neural circuits relevant to species survival and comment on (5) current research advancements and challenges in this exciting research field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto A Rasia-Filho
- Department of Basic Sciences/Physiology and Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Maria Elisa Calcagnotto
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Biochemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Bączyńska E, Pels KK, Basu S, Włodarczyk J, Ruszczycki B. Quantification of Dendritic Spines Remodeling under Physiological Stimuli and in Pathological Conditions. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4053. [PMID: 33919977 PMCID: PMC8070910 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous brain diseases are associated with abnormalities in morphology and density of dendritic spines, small membranous protrusions whose structural geometry correlates with the strength of synaptic connections. Thus, the quantitative analysis of dendritic spines remodeling in microscopic images is one of the key elements towards understanding mechanisms of structural neuronal plasticity and bases of brain pathology. In the following article, we review experimental approaches designed to assess quantitative features of dendritic spines under physiological stimuli and in pathological conditions. We compare various methodological pipelines of biological models, sample preparation, data analysis, image acquisition, sample size, and statistical analysis. The methodology and results of relevant experiments are systematically summarized in a tabular form. In particular, we focus on quantitative data regarding the number of animals, cells, dendritic spines, types of studied parameters, size of observed changes, and their statistical significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Bączyńska
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (E.B.); (K.K.P.); (J.W.)
| | - Katarzyna Karolina Pels
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (E.B.); (K.K.P.); (J.W.)
| | - Subhadip Basu
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jadvapur University, Kolkata 700032, India;
| | - Jakub Włodarczyk
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (E.B.); (K.K.P.); (J.W.)
| | - Błażej Ruszczycki
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 3 Pasteur Street, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (E.B.); (K.K.P.); (J.W.)
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Velasco I, Toharia P, Benavides-Piccione R, Fernaud-Espinosa I, Brito JP, Mata S, DeFelipe J, Pastor L, Bayona S. Neuronize v2: Bridging the Gap Between Existing Proprietary Tools to Optimize Neuroscientific Workflows. Front Neuroanat 2020; 14:585793. [PMID: 33192345 PMCID: PMC7646287 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2020.585793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge about neuron morphology is key to understanding brain structure and function. There are a variety of software tools that are used to segment and trace the neuron morphology. However, these tools usually utilize proprietary formats. This causes interoperability problems since the information extracted with one tool cannot be used in other tools. This article aims to improve neuronal reconstruction workflows by facilitating the interoperability between two of the most commonly used software tools—Neurolucida (NL) and Imaris (Filament Tracer). The new functionality has been included in an existing tool—Neuronize—giving rise to its second version. Neuronize v2 makes it possible to automatically use the data extracted with Imaris Filament Tracer to generate a tracing with dendritic spine information that can be read directly by NL. It also includes some other new features, such as the ability to unify and/or correct inaccurately-formed meshes (i.e., dendritic spines) and to calculate new metrics. This tool greatly facilitates the process of neuronal reconstruction, bridging the gap between existing proprietary tools to optimize neuroscientific workflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Velasco
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Toharia
- DATSI, ETSIINF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruth Benavides-Piccione
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain.,Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Cajal (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Fernaud-Espinosa
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain.,Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Cajal (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan P Brito
- DLSIIS, ETSIINF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Center for Computational Simulation, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Susana Mata
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain.,Center for Computational Simulation, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier DeFelipe
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain.,Laboratorio Cajal de Circuitos Corticales, Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto Cajal (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Pastor
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain.,Center for Computational Simulation, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sofia Bayona
- Department of Computer Science, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain.,Center for Computational Simulation, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Vasan R, Maleckar MM, Williams CD, Rangamani P. DLITE Uses Cell-Cell Interface Movement to Better Infer Cell-Cell Tensions. Biophys J 2019; 117:1714-1727. [PMID: 31648791 PMCID: PMC6838938 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.09.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell shapes and connectivities evolve over time as the colony changes shape or embryos develop. Shapes of intercellular interfaces are closely coupled with the forces resulting from actomyosin interactions, membrane tension, or cell-cell adhesions. Although it is possible to computationally infer cell-cell forces from a mechanical model of collective cell behavior, doing so for temporally evolving forces in a manner robust to digitization difficulties is challenging. Here, we introduce a method for dynamic local intercellular tension estimation (DLITE) that infers such evolution in temporal force with less sensitivity to digitization ambiguities or errors. This method builds upon previous work on single time points (cellular force-inference toolkit). We validate our method using synthetic geometries. DLITE's inferred cell colony tension evolutions correlate better with ground truth for these synthetic geometries as compared to tension values inferred from methods that consider each time point in isolation. We introduce cell connectivity errors, angle estimate errors, connection mislocalization, and connection topological changes to synthetic data and show that DLITE has reduced sensitivity to these conditions. Finally, we apply DLITE to time series of human-induced pluripotent stem cell colonies with endogenously expressed GFP-tagged zonulae occludentes-1. We show that DLITE offers improved stability in the inference of cell-cell tensions and supports a correlation between the dynamics of cell-cell forces and colony rearrangement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ritvik Vasan
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | | | | | - Padmini Rangamani
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.
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Cugno A, Bartol TM, Sejnowski TJ, Iyengar R, Rangamani P. Geometric principles of second messenger dynamics in dendritic spines. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11676. [PMID: 31406140 PMCID: PMC6691135 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48028-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendritic spines are small, bulbous protrusions along dendrites in neurons and play a critical role in synaptic transmission. Dendritic spines come in a variety of shapes that depend on their developmental state. Additionally, roughly 14-19% of mature spines have a specialized endoplasmic reticulum called the spine apparatus. How does the shape of a postsynaptic spine and its internal organization affect the spatio-temporal dynamics of short timescale signaling? Answers to this question are central to our understanding the initiation of synaptic transmission, learning, and memory formation. In this work, we investigated the effect of spine and spine apparatus size and shape on the spatio-temporal dynamics of second messengers using mathematical modeling using reaction-diffusion equations in idealized geometries (ellipsoids, spheres, and mushroom-shaped). Our analyses and simulations showed that in the short timescale, spine size and shape coupled with the spine apparatus geometries govern the spatiotemporal dynamics of second messengers. We show that the curvature of the geometries gives rise to pseudo-harmonic functions, which predict the locations of maximum and minimum concentrations along the spine head. Furthermore, we showed that the lifetime of the concentration gradient can be fine-tuned by localization of fluxes on the spine head and varying the relative curvatures and distances between the spine apparatus and the spine head. Thus, we have identified several key geometric determinants of how the spine head and spine apparatus may regulate the short timescale chemical dynamics of small molecules that control synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Cugno
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0411, CA, United States
| | - Thomas M Bartol
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Terrence J Sejnowski
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ravi Iyengar
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Systems Biology Center New York, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Padmini Rangamani
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0411, CA, United States.
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Endovascular Therapy for Tandem Occlusion in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Intravenous Thrombolysis Improves Outcomes. J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8020228. [PMID: 30744174 PMCID: PMC6407107 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8020228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ischemic stroke related to tandem internal carotid and middle cerebral artery (TIM) occlusion is a challenging condition where endovascular treatment (EVT) is an emerging revascularization option. The identification of factors influencing clinical outcomes can assist in creating appropriate therapeutic algorithms for such patients. This study aimed to evaluate prognostic factors in the context of EVT for TIM occlusion. We performed a retrospective study of consecutive patients with TIM occlusion admitted within 6 h from symptom onset to two tertiary stroke centers. We recorded the etiology of stroke, clinical deficits at stroke onset and discharge, details of EVT, final infarct volume (FIV), in-hospital mortality, and outcome at three months. Among 73 patients with TIM occlusion, 53 were treated with EVT. The median age was 75.9 years (interquartile range (IQR) 64.6–82.6), with the most common etiology of cardioembolism (51.9%). Intravenous thrombolysis with tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA) was performed in the majority (69.8%) of cases. EVT achieved successful recanalization with a thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) grade of 2b or 3 in 67.9%. A good outcome (modified Rankin score of 0–2 at three months) was observed in 37.7%. After adjustment for age, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at admission, and success of recanalization, smaller final infarct volume (odds ratio (OR) 0.021 for FIV above 25th percentile (95% CI 0.001–0.332, p = 0.005)) and administration of intravenous t-PA (OR 12.04 (95% CI 1.004–144.392, p = 0.049)) were associated with a good outcome at three months. Our study demonstrates that bridging with t-PA is associated with improved outcomes in the setting of tandem ICA and MCA occlusions treated with EVT and should therefore not be withheld in eligible patients.
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Ferrer-Ferrer M, Dityatev A. Shaping Synapses by the Neural Extracellular Matrix. Front Neuroanat 2018; 12:40. [PMID: 29867379 PMCID: PMC5962695 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating data support the importance of interactions between pre- and postsynaptic neuronal elements with astroglial processes and extracellular matrix (ECM) for formation and plasticity of chemical synapses, and thus validate the concept of a tetrapartite synapse. Here we outline the major mechanisms driving: (i) synaptogenesis by secreted extracellular scaffolding molecules, like thrombospondins (TSPs), neuronal pentraxins (NPs) and cerebellins, which respectively promote presynaptic, postsynaptic differentiation or both; (ii) maturation of synapses via reelin and integrin ligands-mediated signaling; and (iii) regulation of synaptic plasticity by ECM-dependent control of induction and consolidation of new synaptic configurations. Particularly, we focused on potential importance of activity-dependent concerted activation of multiple extracellular proteases, such as ADAMTS4/5/15, MMP9 and neurotrypsin, for permissive and instructive events in synaptic remodeling through localized degradation of perisynaptic ECM and generation of proteolytic fragments as inducers of synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maura Ferrer-Ferrer
- Molecular Neuroplasticity German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Dityatev
- Molecular Neuroplasticity German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany.,Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
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Pallas-Bazarra N, Kastanauskaite A, Avila J, DeFelipe J, Llorens-Martín M. GSK-3β Overexpression Alters the Dendritic Spines of Developmentally Generated Granule Neurons in the Mouse Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus. Front Neuroanat 2017; 11:18. [PMID: 28344548 PMCID: PMC5344922 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2017.00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The dentate gyrus (DG) plays a crucial role in hippocampal-related memory. The most abundant cellular type in the DG, namely granule neurons, are developmentally generated around postnatal day P6 in mice. Moreover, a unique feature of the DG is the occurrence of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, a process that gives rise to newborn granule neurons throughout life. Adult-born and developmentally generated granule neurons share some maturational aspects but differ in others, such as in their positioning within the granule cell layer. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis encompasses a series of plastic changes that modify the function of the hippocampal trisynaptic network. In this regard, it is known that glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) regulates both synaptic plasticity and memory. By using a transgenic mouse overexpressing GSK-3β in hippocampal neurons, we previously demonstrated that the overexpression of this kinase has deleterious effects on the maturation of newborn granule neurons. In the present study, we addressed the effects of GSK-3β overexpression on the morphology and number of dendritic spines of developmentally generated granule neurons. To this end, we performed intracellular injections of Lucifer Yellow in developmentally generated granule neurons of wild-type and GSK-3β-overexpressing mice and analyzed the number and morphologies of dendritic spines (namely, stubby, thin and mushroom). GSK-3β overexpression led to a general reduction in the number of dendritic spines. In addition, it caused a slight reduction in the percentage, head diameter and length of thin spines, whereas the head diameter of mushroom spines was increased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemí Pallas-Bazarra
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades NeurodegenerativasMadrid, Spain
| | - Asta Kastanauskaite
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades NeurodegenerativasMadrid, Spain; Cajal Laboratory of Cortical Circuits, Centro de Tecnologá Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de MadridMadrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Avila
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades NeurodegenerativasMadrid, Spain
| | - Javier DeFelipe
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades NeurodegenerativasMadrid, Spain; Cajal Laboratory of Cortical Circuits, Centro de Tecnologá Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de MadridMadrid, Spain; Cajal Institute - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones CientificasMadrid, Spain
| | - María Llorens-Martín
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades NeurodegenerativasMadrid, Spain; Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadrid, Spain
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