title: Dendritic spine geometry: functional implication and regulation.
abstract: Dendritic spines are tiny protrusions on dendritic shafts where most excitatory synapses are located. Recent advances in imaging technologies have given us great insight into the function of spines as biochemical compartments. Here we review recent evidence suggesting that the geometry of dendritic spines controls postsynaptic calcium signaling and is bidirectionally regulated during synaptic plasticity.
authors.affiliation: RIKEN-MIT Neuroscience Research Center, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. yhayashi@mit.edu
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Ania K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Majewska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000502:physiology*; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; D002118:Calcium