Cytoskeletal alterations underlying dendritic and synaptic plasticity in epilepsy

Aberrant dendritic changes in epilepsy, morphologically measured by the complexity and length of dendrite, as well as the density of dendritic spines, are dynamic and various considering disease course, developmental stages, and various neuronal type across different brain regions. Correspondingly, imbalanced excitatory and inhibitory synapses in epilepsy, quantitatively measured by the expression level and location of synaptic proteins, still vary considering etiology, disease course, and brain regions. And, various mechanisms involved in synaptic pruning add to the complexity of synaptic alterations in epilepsy. Still, sharing mechanisms underlying aberrant dendritic and synaptic plasticity in epilepsy exist, and cytoskeletal alterations can serve as a tool to decipher alterations of dendritic morphology and synaptic plasticity in epilepsy. Evidences supporting aberrant microtubule dynamics and post-translational modifications of tubulin in epilepsy emerge, combined with their involvement in dendritic morphology and synaptic plasticity. In conclusion, this review respectively summarizes the characteristics of dendritic pathology, synaptic alterations, microtubule dynamics, and tubulin's post-translational modifications in epilepsy, and discusses their interplay and correlation in epilepsy, providing insight into how cytoskeletal organization contributes to macroscopic changes in epilepsy.