Topic: neuronal cytoskeleton

The advent of superresolution microscopy uncovered the presence of the membrane-associated periodic skeleton (MPS), a part of the neuronal cytoskeleton that is organized in a periodic localization pattern. Central to this structure are spectrin tetramers, which localize rings of actin filaments at an average distance of 190 nm. The MPS is particularly pronounced in the axon, where it appears able to recruit ion channels and signaling platforms into similar periodic localization patterns, suggesting the MPS plays a key role in orchestrating neuronal signaling. Despite this, precise quantificati

For the nervous system to function properly, mature neurons must have a stable dendritic architecture. Mature neurons still possess the capacity for structural plasticity, which is necessary to facilitate adaptive processes such as memory formation. What molecular and cellular mechanisms regulate this fine balance between dendritic structural stabilization and plasticity is unknown. Aberrant connectivity is the consequence of atrophy or maladaptive plasticity, which fails to preserve the ideal dendritic structure and is linked to a number of neurological disorders. The upkeep of mature dendrit