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Related Concept Videos

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration01:27

Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration

Calcium is an essential signaling molecule required for various cellular functions. Calcium pumps and ion channels on cell and organellar membranes, such as those on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), regulate calcium concentrations inside the cell. They remain closed, keeping the cytosolic calcium levels low at a resting state.
Various transmembrane receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), elicit a response to extracellular signals by increasing cytosolic calcium. Activated GPCRs...
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,...
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...
The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation01:19

The Role of Ion Channels in Neuronal Computation

A postsynaptic neuron usually receives numerous impulses from several other presynaptic neurons. The axon hillock of the postsynaptic neuron integrates all these signals and determines the likelihood of firing an action potential.
Sometimes a single EPSP is strong enough to induce an action potential in the postsynaptic neuron. However, multiple presynaptic inputs must often create EPSPs around the same time for the postsynaptic neuron to be sufficiently depolarized to fire an action potential.
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 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

Calcium signaling in dendritic spines.

Michael J Higley1, Bernardo L Sabatini

  • 1Department of Neurobiology, Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
|February 17, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Calcium ions (Ca2+) are vital for neuron function, regulating processes like neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity. This study explores how Ca2+ signaling is controlled within neuronal dendritic spines.

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Last Updated: May 24, 2026

Two-photon Calcium Imaging in Neuronal Dendrites in Brain Slices
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Published on: March 15, 2018

Imaging Dendritic Spines in Caenorhabditis elegans
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Dendritic Spine Quantification Using an Automatic Three-Dimensional Neuron Reconstruction Software
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Dendritic Spine Quantification Using an Automatic Three-Dimensional Neuron Reconstruction Software

Published on: September 27, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Calcium ions (Ca2+) act as critical intracellular messengers in all cells.
  • In neurons, Ca2+ influx regulates essential functions including neurotransmitter release, ion channel activity, synaptic plasticity, and gene transcription.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss the regulatory factors of Ca2+ signaling in mammalian neurons.
  • To focus on the specific mechanisms of Ca2+ signaling within dendritic spines.
  • To review the routes of Ca2+ entry and exit, temporal and spatial profiles, and biophysical determinants of downstream signaling.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on neuronal Ca2+ signaling.
  • Analysis of factors influencing Ca2+ dynamics in dendritic spines.
  • Discussion of technical advancements in quantitative Ca2+ imaging.

Main Results:

  • Ca2+ signaling in dendritic spines is influenced by entry/exit routes and cellular mechanisms.
  • The temporal and spatial characteristics of Ca2+ signals are precisely regulated.
  • Biophysical properties dictate downstream signaling pathway activation based on Ca2+ levels.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding Ca2+ regulation in dendritic spines is key to comprehending neuronal function.
  • Advances in imaging techniques have enabled detailed quantitative studies of Ca2+ signaling.
  • This research highlights the complexity and importance of localized Ca2+ dynamics in neuronal communication.