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Dendritic excitations govern back-propagation via a spike-rate accelerometer

Author

Listed:
  • Pojeong Park

    (Harvard University
    DGIST)

  • J. David Wong-Campos

    (Harvard University)

  • Daniel G. Itkis

    (Harvard University)

  • Byung Hun Lee

    (Harvard University)

  • Yitong Qi

    (Harvard University)

  • Hunter C. Davis

    (Harvard University)

  • Benjamin Antin

    (Columbia University)

  • Amol Pasarkar

    (Columbia University)

  • Jonathan B. Grimm

    (Howard Hughes Medical Institute)

  • Sarah E. Plutkis

    (Howard Hughes Medical Institute)

  • Katie L. Holland

    (Howard Hughes Medical Institute)

  • Liam Paninski

    (Columbia University)

  • Luke D. Lavis

    (Howard Hughes Medical Institute)

  • Adam E. Cohen

    (Harvard University
    Harvard University)

Abstract

Dendrites on neurons support electrical excitations, but the computational significance of these events is not well understood. We developed molecular, optical, and computational tools for all-optical electrophysiology in dendrites. We mapped sub-millisecond voltage dynamics throughout the dendritic trees of CA1 pyramidal neurons under diverse optogenetic and synaptic stimulus patterns, in acute brain slices. Our data show history-dependent spike back-propagation in distal dendrites, driven by locally generated Na+ spikes (dSpikes). Dendritic depolarization created a transient window for dSpike propagation, opened by A-type KV channel inactivation, and closed by slow NaV inactivation. Collisions of dSpikes with synaptic inputs triggered calcium channel and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-dependent dendritic plateau potentials and accompanying complex spikes at the soma. This hierarchical ion channel network acts as a spike-rate accelerometer, providing an intuitive picture connecting dendritic biophysics to associative plasticity rules.

Suggested Citation

  • Pojeong Park & J. David Wong-Campos & Daniel G. Itkis & Byung Hun Lee & Yitong Qi & Hunter C. Davis & Benjamin Antin & Amol Pasarkar & Jonathan B. Grimm & Sarah E. Plutkis & Katie L. Holland & Liam Pa, 2025. "Dendritic excitations govern back-propagation via a spike-rate accelerometer," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-20, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-55819-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-55819-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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