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Related Concept Videos

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling01:16

Calmodulin-dependent Signaling

Calmodulin (CaM) is a calcium-binding protein in eukaryotes that controls various calcium-regulated cellular processes. It has four calcium-binding sites that bind calcium to form the calcium-calmodulin ( Ca2+-CaM) complex. GPCR stimulation increases the calcium levels in the cells that bind to CaM and induces a conformational change.
The Ca2+-CaM complex does not have enzymatic activity by itself. Instead, the complex binds downstream target proteins, including membrane proteins or enzymes,...
Synaptic Signaling01:09

Synaptic Signaling

Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
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...
Synaptic Signaling01:12

Synaptic Signaling

Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Amplifying Signals via Second Messengers01:15

Amplifying Signals via Second Messengers

Many receptor binding ligands are hydrophilic; they do not cross the cell membrane but bind to cell-surface receptors. Thus, their message must be relayed by second messengers present in the cell cytoplasm. There are several second messenger pathways, each with its own way of relaying information. For example, the G protein-coupled receptors can activate both phosphoinositol and cyclic AMP (cAMP) second messenger pathways. The phosphoinositol pathway is active when the receptor induces...
Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism01:30

Ligand-Gated Ion Channel Receptor: Gating Mechanism

Ligand-gated ion channels are transmembrane proteins that play a vital role in intercellular communication and functions of the nervous system. They allow the influx of ions across the membrane once the neurotransmitter binds, allowing the subsequent transmission of electrical excitation across the neurons. Other ligand-gated ion channels, like the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor, permit anions like chloride into the cells on the binding of the GABA molecule. Their entry into the cell...
What are Second Messengers?01:12

What are Second Messengers?

Because many receptor binding ligands are hydrophilic, they do not cross the cell membrane and thus their message must be relayed to a second messenger on the inside. There are several second messenger pathways, each with their own way of relaying information. G-protein coupled receptors can activate both phosphoinositol and cyclic AMP (cAMP) second messenger pathways. The phosphoinositol path is active when the receptor induces phospholipase C to hydrolyze the phospholipid,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Two-photon Calcium Imaging in Neuronal Dendrites in Brain Slices
10:35

Two-photon Calcium Imaging in Neuronal Dendrites in Brain Slices

Published on: March 15, 2018

Ca(2+) signaling in dendritic spines.

Brenda L Bloodgood1, Bernardo L Sabatini

  • 1Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|April 25, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Individual dendritic spines precisely control calcium (Ca2+) signals, acting as independent signaling domains. This regulation ensures complex cellular responses to neural activity.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cellular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Dendritic spines are crucial sites for synaptic integration and plasticity.
  • Calcium (Ca2+) signaling plays a vital role in neuronal function and plasticity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the multi-level regulation of Ca2+ signals within individual dendritic spines.
  • To understand how dendritic spines function as autonomous Ca2+ signaling domains.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent studies on Ca2+ signaling in dendritic spines.
  • Analysis of factors influencing Ca2+ influx through ion channels and receptors.
  • Examination of the interplay between different Ca2+ sources within spines.

Main Results:

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Imaging Dendritic Spines in Caenorhabditis elegans

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Rapid Golgi Stain for Dendritic Spine Visualization in Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex

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Two-photon Calcium Imaging in Neuronal Dendrites in Brain Slices
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Two-photon Calcium Imaging in Neuronal Dendrites in Brain Slices

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Imaging Dendritic Spines in Caenorhabditis elegans

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  • Spine Ca2+ signals are regulated by glutamate receptors and voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels.
  • Regulation involves channel composition, kinase/phosphatase activity, membrane potential, and prior activity.
  • Multiple Ca2+ sources interact nonlinearly, modulating each other's activity.

Conclusions:

  • Each dendritic spine acts as a distinct, partitioned Ca2+ signaling domain.
  • Spines autonomously regulate the electrical and biochemical outcomes of synaptic activity.
  • This intricate regulation is fundamental to neuronal information processing.