title: Actin-binding proteins and signalling pathways associated with the formation and maintenance of dendritic spines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dendritic spines are the main sites of excitatory synaptic contacts. Moreover, they present plastic responses to different stimuli present in synaptic activity or damage, ranging from an increase or decrease in their total number, to redistribution of progenitor dendritic spines, to variations in their size or shape. However, the spines can remain stable for a long time.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The use of experimental models has shown that different molecules of the F-actin binding and signalling pathways are closely related to the development, maintenance and plasticity of excitatory synapses, which could affect the number, size and shape of the dendritic spines; these mechanisms affect and depend on the reorganisation of the actin cytoskeleton.
  
  
  METHODS
  It is proposed that the filopodia are precursors of dendritic spines. Drebrin is an F-actin binding protein, and it is responsible for concentrating F-actin and PSD-95 in filopodia that will guide the formation of the new spines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The specific mechanisms of actin regulation are an integral part in the formation, maturing process and plasticity of dendritic spines in association with the various actin cytoskeleton-binding proteins The signalling pathways mediated by small GTPases and the equilibrium between G-actin and F-actin are also involved.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Psicobiología y Biología Molecular, Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra y de la Vida, Centro Universitario de los Lagos, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico. csoria@culagos.udg.mx
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soria Fregozo
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Pérez Vega
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology; D049229:Dendritic Spines / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011554:Pseudopodia / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D008840:Microfilament Proteins