title: Enhanced Ras activity promotes spine formation in synRas mice neocortex.
abstract: The effect of enhanced Ras activity upon dendritic spine formation has been investigated on pyramidal cells in the adult neocortex of synRas mice over-expressing Val12-Ha-Ras specifically in postmitotic neurons. For quantitative analysis, commissural neurons of layers II/III were retrogradely labelled with dextran amine. In synRas mice, spine frequency on several orders of basal dendrites and apical oblique branches was significantly increased. Whereas density on basal dendrites was overall augmented, on apical dendrites, distal regions were most affected. The proportions of different morphological types of spines remained unchanged. It is concluded that Ras might be critically involved in mechanisms that mediate and regulate dendritic spine formation in the adult brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroanatomy, Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Jahnallee 59, D-04109 Leipzig, Germany. gaeru@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gärtner
authors.forename: Alán
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alpár
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Behrbohm
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Heumann
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arendt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003712:Dendrites / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D019579:Neocortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018631:ras Proteins