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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Two-photon Calcium Imaging in Neuronal Dendrites in Brain Slices
Published on: March 15, 2018
Spatiotemporal Regulation of Signaling in and out of Dendritic Spines: CaMKII and Ras
Seok-Jin R Lee1, Ryohei Yasuda
1Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710.
Abstract:
Recent advances in 2-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (2pFLIM) in combination with 2-photon photochemistry have enabled the visualization of neuronal signaling during synaptic plasticity at the level of single dendritic spines in light scattering tissue. Using these techniques, the activity of Ca(2+)/Calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) and Ras have been imaged in single spines during synaptic plasticity and associated spine enlargement. These provide two contrasting examples of spatiotemporal regulation of spine signaling: Ras signaling is diffusive and spread over ~10 microm along the dendrites, while CaMKII activation is restricted to the spine undergoing plasticity. In this review, we will discuss the mechanisms and roles of the different spatiotemporal regulation of signaling in neurons, and the impact of the spine structure upon these biochemical signaling processes.
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