Principles of branch dynamics governing shape characteristics of cerebellar Purkinje cell dendrites.

ABSTRACT: Neurons develop dendritic arbors in cell type-specific patterns. Using growing Purkinje cells in culture as a model, we performed a long-term time-lapse observation of dendrite branch dynamics to understand the rules that govern the characteristic space-filling dendrites. We found that dendrite architecture was sculpted by a combination of reproducible dynamic processes, including constant tip elongation, stochastic terminal branching, and retraction triggered by contacts between growing dendrites. Inhibition of protein kinase C/protein kinase D signaling prevented branch retraction and significantly altered the characteristic morphology of long proximal segments. A computer simulation of dendrite branch dynamics using simple parameters from experimental measurements reproduced the time-de

SUBMITTER: Fujishima K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3491647 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature