| Abstract No.: | A-A1001 |
| Country: | Canada |
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| Title: | THE ROLE OF NEUROLIGIN-NEUREXIN INTERACTIONS ON DENDRITIC DEVELOPMENT IN VIVO |
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| Authors/Affiliations: | 1 Simon Chen; 1 Kurt Haas;
1 University of British Columbia; BC, Canada
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| Content: | Objective: Constructing functional neural circuits during critical periods of early brain development requires a highly dynamic process of neuronal growth and synapse formation. Correct dendritic arborization is a critical component of circuit formation since arbor size and shape dictates the number and type of synapses that can be formed. Evidence from a number of recent studies strongly supports the synaptotropic model of growth in which synapse formation directs dendrite growth by stabilizing new branches. While the majority of these studies focus on the role of activity-dependent mechanisms involving glutamate receptor activation in synaptotropic dendrite growth, little is known about the influence of cell adhesion molecules in regulating dendrite growth and stabilization. Here, we test whether neurexin and their receptors, the neuroligins (NLGs) influence dynamic dendritic arborization within the intact developing brain of the albino Xenopus laevis tadpole.
Materials and Methods: By using in vivo two-photon time-lapse imaging of individual newly differentiated neurons transfected using single-cell electroporation, we directly image and measure dendritic growth dynamics in the unanesthetized brain after extracellular neurexin is applied to prevent synapse formation.
Results: We observe retraction of entire dendritic arbor over 8 hours and a decrease in filopodial number as compared to controls.
Conclusion: Our findings, to the same neurons before and after exposure to extracellular neurexin application, suggest a role for NLG-neurexin interactions in new dendritic filopodial motility and stabilization.
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