title: Anomalous diffusion in Purkinje cell dendrites caused by spines.
abstract: We combined local photolysis of caged compounds with fluorescence imaging to visualize molecular diffusion within dendrites of cerebellar Purkinje cells. Diffusion of a volume marker, fluorescein dextran, within spiny dendrites was remarkably slow in comparison to its diffusion in smooth dendrites. Computer simulations indicate that this retardation is due to a transient trapping of molecules within dendritic spines, yielding anomalous diffusion. We considered the influence of spine trapping on the diffusion of calcium ions (Ca(2+)) and inositol-1,4,5-triphospate (IP(3)), two synaptic second messengers. Diffusion of IP(3) was strongly influenced by the presence of dendritic spines, while Ca(2+) was removed so rapidly that it could not diffuse far enough to be trapped. We conclude that an important function of dendritic spines may be to trap chemical signals and thereby create slowed anomalous diffusion within dendrites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, PO Box 3209, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Fidel
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santamaria
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wils
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Schutter
authors.forename: George J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Augustine
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004058:Diffusion; D019793:Fluorescein / Q000378:metabolism; D015544:Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013570:Synaptic Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015544:Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate; D002118:Calcium; D019793:Fluorescein