Kalirin loss results in cortical morphological alterations.

ABSTRACT: Morphogenesis of pyramidal neuronal dendrites and spines is crucial for the formation and refinement of forebrain neuronal circuits underlying cognition. Aberrant dendrite and spine morphology is associated with neuropathological disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms controlling pyramidal neuronal dendrite and spine morphogenesis in vivo remain largely unknown. Kalirin is a brain-specific guanine-nucleotide exchange factor for Rho-like small GTPases, and an important regulator of spine morphogenesis in cultured neurons. Here we show that RNAi-dependent knockdown of kalirin in cultured neurons affected dendrite morphology. Cortical pyramidal neurons from KALRN-null mice showed reduced spine density and impaired activity-dependent spine plasticity; and they exhibited reduced complexit

SUBMITTER: Xie Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2818244 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature