Nanoscale imaging reveals miRNA-mediated control of functional states of dendritic spines.

ABSTRACT: Dendritic spines are major loci of excitatory inputs and undergo activity-dependent structural changes that contribute to synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Despite the existence of various classification types of spines, how they arise and which molecular components trigger their structural plasticity remain elusive. microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of synapse development and plasticity via their control of gene expression. Brain-specific miR-134s likely regulate the morphological maturation of spines, but their subcellular distributions and functional impacts have rarely been assessed. Here, we exploited atomic force microscopy to visualize in situ miR-134s, which indicated that they are mainly distributed at nearby dendritic shafts and necks of spines. The a

SUBMITTER: Park I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6511049 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature