Neural Plasticity

Molecular Mechanisms of Dendritic Spine Development and Plasticity


Publishing date
06 Nov 2015
Status
Published
Submission deadline
19 Jun 2015

Lead Editor

1University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

2Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA

3UConn Health, Connecticut, USA

4King’s College London, London, UK

5Baylor College of Medicine, Texas, USA


Molecular Mechanisms of Dendritic Spine Development and Plasticity

Description

The majority of excitatory synapses of postsynaptic neurons are located on specialized cellular compartments called dendritic spines, which are highly dynamic and morphologically heterogeneous. The formation, maturation, and maintenance of dendritic spines are tightly regulated by different extracellular signals. The density and morphology of dendritic spines are also regulated by electrical stimulation upon activation of glutamate receptors, which represents a major mechanism by which synaptic strength is modulated during various forms of synaptic plasticity. Elucidating the underlying mechanisms of dendritic spine morphogenesis is fundamental to our understanding of how neuronal connectivity is changed by experience, a phenomenon that is crucial for brain development and function. In addition, dendritic spine abnormality is often associated with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, such as Fragile-X syndrome, Rett syndrome, and schizophrenia as well as drug addiction and depression. Precise control of spine development and remodeling is therefore essential for normal brain function. Knowledge on the molecular mechanisms behind spine morphogenesis will lead to better insights on the pathophysiology of brain diseases.

It has become increasingly clear that the molecular complexity in neurons far exceeds what we have previously appreciated, and many novel molecular players and regulatory pathways that control dendritic spine morphogenesis have recently been identified. We therefore invite authors to submit original research articles and reviews that will contribute to the understanding of how dendritic spine development and plasticity are regulated.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Control of spine morphogenesis by different Rho-GTPases and their upstream regulators
  • Role of protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation in spine development and plasticity
  • Importance of dendritic RNA trafficking and local protein synthesis
  • Molecular mechanisms behind dendritic spine abnormality in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases

Articles

  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2016
  • - Article ID 2078121
  • - Editorial

Molecular Mechanisms of Dendritic Spine Development and Plasticity

Kwok-On Lai | Bryen A. Jordan | ... | Kimberly F. Tolias
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2016
  • - Article ID 3025948
  • - Review Article

Control of Dendritic Spine Morphological and Functional Plasticity by Small GTPases

Kevin M. Woolfrey | Deepak P. Srivastava
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2016
  • - Article ID 3857934
  • - Review Article

Proteostasis and RNA Binding Proteins in Synaptic Plasticity and in the Pathogenesis of Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Matthew E. Klein | Hannah Monday | Bryen A. Jordan
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2016
  • - Article ID 2819107
  • - Research Article

Hippocampal Dendritic Spines Are Segregated Depending on Their Actin Polymerization

Nuria Domínguez-Iturza | María Calvo | ... | Miguel Morales
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2016
  • - Article ID 8056370
  • - Review Article

Dendritic Spines in Depression: What We Learned from Animal Models

Hui Qiao | Ming-Xing Li | ... | Xin-Ming Ma
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2016
  • - Article ID 8301737
  • - Review Article

Emerging Roles of BAI Adhesion-GPCRs in Synapse Development and Plasticity

Joseph G. Duman | Yen-Kuei Tu | Kimberley F. Tolias
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2016
  • - Article ID 4258171
  • - Research Article

The Activator Mastoparan-7 Promotes Dendritic Spine Formation in Hippocampal Neurons

Valerie T. Ramírez | Eva Ramos-Fernández | Nibaldo C. Inestrosa
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2016
  • - Article ID 6170509
  • - Research Article

Large and Small Dendritic Spines Serve Different Interacting Functions in Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity and Homeostasis

Joshua J. W. Paulin | Peter Haslehurst | ... | Frances A. Edwards
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2016
  • - Article ID 3423267
  • - Review Article

Emerging Roles of Filopodia and Dendritic Spines in Motoneuron Plasticity during Development and Disease

Refik Kanjhan | Peter G. Noakes | Mark C. Bellingham
  • Special Issue
  • - Volume 2016
  • - Article ID 3145019
  • - Review Article

Polarity Determinants in Dendritic Spine Development and Plasticity

Huaye Zhang
Neural Plasticity
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Acceptance rate12%
Submission to final decision134 days
Acceptance to publication26 days
CiteScore5.700
Journal Citation Indicator0.610
Impact Factor3.1
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