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Long-term dendritic spine stability in the adult cortex

Nature volume 420, pages 812–816 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

The structural dynamics of synapses probably has a crucial role in the development and plasticity of the nervous system. In the mammalian brain, the vast majority of excitatory axo-dendritic synapses occur on dendritic specializations called ‘spines’. However, little is known about their long-term changes in the intact developing or adult animal. To address this question we developed a transcranial two-photon imaging technique to follow identified spines of layer-5 pyramidal neurons in the primary visual cortex of living transgenic mice expressing yellow fluorescent protein. Here we show that filopodia-like dendritic protrusions, extending and retracting over hours, are abundant in young animals but virtually absent from the adult. In young mice, within the ‘critical period’ for visual cortex development, ∼73% of spines remain stable over a one-month interval; most changes are associated with spine elimination. In contrast, in adult mice, the overwhelming majority of spines (∼96%) remain stable over the same interval with a half-life greater than 13 months. These results indicate that spines, initially plastic during development, become remarkably stable in the adult, providing a potential structural basis for long-term information storage.

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Figure 1: Transcranial two-photon imaging in young animals shows dynamic dendritic filopodia.
Figure 2: Dendrites in young (1-month-old) animals show predominantly spine and filopodia elimination over long intervals.
Figure 3: Dendritic spines in adult mice demonstrate long-term stability.
Figure 4: Spine stability increases with age.

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Acknowledgements

We thank J. Lichtman, S. Burden and R. Yuste for critical comments on this manuscript. This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Ellison Foundation to W.-B.G. and by an Irene Diamond grant to M. L. Dustin for purchasing the imaging system.

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  1. Molecular Neurobiology Program, Skirball Institute, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, New York University School of Medicine, 540 First Avenue, New York, New York, 10016, USA

    Jaime Grutzendler, Narayanan Kasthuri & Wen-Biao Gan

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  1. Jaime Grutzendler
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  2. Narayanan Kasthuri
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Correspondence to Wen-Biao Gan.

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Grutzendler, J., Kasthuri, N. & Gan, WB. Long-term dendritic spine stability in the adult cortex. Nature 420, 812–816 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01276

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