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Spine motility is the biological process by which a neuron’s dendritic spines – the specialized protrusions that are the sites of excitatory synaptic input – alter their morphology, appear or disappear. Spine motility is regulated by numerous factors and is thought to require remodelling of the actin cytoskeleton.
Direct visualization of microglia-mediated synapse pruning has been lacking. This study shows direct evidence of microglia-synapse interaction where microglia do not necessarily ‘eat’ post-synaptic structure but ‘nibble’ on pre-synaptic terminals, much akin to trogocytosis by lymphocytes.
An injury to the spine — the long bony assemblage that supports the upper body and the spinal cord that carries nerve signals — can be grim and costly. By Bill Cannon.
