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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Labeling F-actin Barbed Ends with Rhodamine-actin in Permeabilized Neuronal Growth Cones
Published on: March 17, 2011
Dendrite growth increased by visual activity requires NMDA receptor and Rho GTPases
Wun Chey Sin1, Kurt Haas, Edward S Ruthazer
1Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724, USA.
Abstract:
Previous studies suggest that neuronal activity may guide the development of synaptic connections in the central nervous system through mechanisms involving glutamate receptors and GTPase-dependent modulation of the actin cytoskeleton. Here we demonstrate by in vivo time-lapse imaging of optic tectal cells in Xenopus laevis tadpoles that enhanced visual activity driven by a light stimulus promotes dendritic arbor growth. The stimulus-induced dendritic arbor growth requires glutamate-receptor-mediated synaptic transmission, decreased RhoA activity and increased Rac and Cdc42 activity. The results delineate a role for Rho GTPases in the structural plasticity driven by visual stimulation in vivo.
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