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Electrical behaviour of dendritic spines as revealed by voltage imaging

Author

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  • Marko A. Popovic

    (Yale University School of Medicine
    Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Belgrade University
    Present address: Nederlands Herseninstituut, Axonal Signalling Group 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Nicholas Carnevale

    (Yale University School of Medicine)

  • Balazs Rozsa

    (Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
    The Faculty of Information Technology, Pázmány Péter University)

  • Dejan Zecevic

    (Yale University School of Medicine
    Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine)

Abstract

Thousands of dendritic spines on individual neurons process information and mediate plasticity by generating electrical input signals using a sophisticated assembly of transmitter receptors and voltage-sensitive ion channel molecules. Our understanding, however, of the electrical behaviour of spines is limited because it has not been possible to record input signals from these structures with adequate sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolution. Current interpretation of indirect data and speculations based on theoretical considerations are inconclusive. Here we use an electrochromic voltage-sensitive dye which acts as a transmembrane optical voltmeter with a linear scale to directly monitor electrical signals from individual spines on thin basal dendrites. The results show that synapses on these spines are not electrically isolated by the spine neck to a significant extent. Electrically, they behave as if they are located directly on dendrites.

Suggested Citation

  • Marko A. Popovic & Nicholas Carnevale & Balazs Rozsa & Dejan Zecevic, 2015. "Electrical behaviour of dendritic spines as revealed by voltage imaging," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms9436
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9436
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