Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Two-photon Calcium Imaging in Neuronal Dendrites in Brain Slices
Published on: March 15, 2018
Ca(2+) signaling in dendritic spines
B L Sabatini1, M Maravall, K Svoboda
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1 Bungtown Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11743, USA.
Abstract:
Dendritic spines are cellular microcompartments that are isolated from their parent dendrites and neighboring spines. Recently, imaging studies of spine Ca(2+) dynamics have revealed that Ca(2+) can enter spines through voltage-sensitive and ligand-activated channels, as well as through Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores. Relationships between spine Ca(2+) signals and induction of various forms of synaptic plasticity are beginning to be elucidated. Measurements of spine Ca(2+) concentration are also being used to probe the properties of single synapses and even individual calcium channels in their native environment.
Related Concept Videos
Synaptic Signaling
What are Second Messengers?
Synaptic Signaling
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
Amplifying Signals via Second Messengers
Calmodulin-dependent Signaling
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

