Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Analysis of Dendritic Spine Morphology in Cultured CNS Neurons
Published on: July 13, 2011
Ankyrin Repeat-rich Membrane Spanning/Kidins220 protein regulates dendritic branching and spine stability in vivo
Synphen H Wu1, Juan Carlos Arévalo, Federica Sarti
1Molecular Neurobiology Program, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA.
Abstract:
The development of nervous system connectivity depends upon the arborization of dendritic fields and the stabilization of dendritic spine synapses. It is well established that neuronal activity and the neurotrophin BDNF modulate these correlated processes. However, the downstream mechanisms by which these extrinsic signals regulate dendritic development and spine stabilization are less well known. Here we report that a substrate of BDNF signaling, the Ankyrin Repeat-rich Membrane Spanning (ARMS) protein or Kidins220, plays a critical role in the branching of cortical and hippocampal dendrites and in the turnover of cortical spines. In the barrel somatosensory cortex and the dentate gyrus, regions where ARMS/Kidins220 is highly expressed, no difference in the complexity of dendritic arbors was observed in 1-month-old adolescent ARMS/Kidins220(+/-) mice compared to wild-type littermates. However, at 3 months of age, young adult ARMS/Kidins220(+/-) mice exhibited decreased dendritic complexity. This suggests that ARMS/Kidins220 does not play a significant role in the initial formation of dendrites but, rather, is involved in the refinement or stabilization of the arbors later in development. In addition, at 1 month of age, the rate of spine elimination was higher in ARMS/Kidins220(+/-) mice than in wild-type mice, suggesting that ARMS/Kidins220(+/-) levels regulate spine stability. Taken together, these data suggest that ARMS/Kidins220 is important for the growth of dendritic arbors and spine stability during an activity- and BDNF-dependent period of development.
Related Concept Videos
Generation of Straight or Branched Actin Filaments
Arp2/3 Complex
Arp2/3 complex is a seven-subunit complex consisting of two proteins similar to actin- Arp2 and Arp3, and five other subunits that help keep Arp2 and Arp3 inactive. When required, the complex is...
Catenins
Catenins in Cell Junctions
Catenins bind to cell adhesion molecules such as cadherins and link them to different cytoskeletal proteins depending on the type of cell junction. At the adherens...
Assembly of Complex Microtubule Structures
Cytoskeletal Linker Proteins - Plakins
Tail-anchoring of Proteins in the ER Membrane
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting

