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Dendrites

Ras puts on a spread

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 9, pages 582–583 (2008)Cite this article

Svoboda's group previously showed that activating NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors (NMDARs) on an individual dendritic spine can facilitate subsequent synaptic activity at a nearby spine. The signalling mechanisms that mediate this effect were unknown, but Ras seemed to be a likely candidate because it is known to be involved in NMDAR-mediated synaptic plasticity. To investigate this possibility, the authors expressed a Ras fusion protein that shows altered fluorescence properties when Ras is activated in cultured brain slices, and probed the spatiotemporal dynamics of Ras activation after synaptic stimulation.

Two-photon laser pulses were used to release 'caged' glutamate in the culture medium close to a single dendritic spine. As previously shown, this resulted in enlargement of the stimulated spine and in facilitation of its subsequent responses to glutamate. Furthermore, stimulation of a single spine also decreased the degree of stimulation (that is, the strength of uncaging laser pulses) that was subsequently required to induce structural and functional plasticity in neighbouring spines.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Harvey, C. D. et al. The spread of Ras activity triggered by activation of a single dendritic spine. Science 12 Jun 2008 (doi:10.1126/science.1159675)

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  1. Katherine Whalley
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Whalley, K. Ras puts on a spread. Nat Rev Neurosci 9, 582–583 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2460

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