Synaptic plasticity: the subcellular location of CaMKII controls plasticity

In a neuron's dendritic spine, the location of CaMKII is controlled by a number of interacting factors, including its ability to bind calcium/calmodulin, its phosphorylation state and the synthesis of new subunits in the dendrites. New studies have shown that the exact location of CaMKII is crucial for the form and endurance of synaptic plasticity.