Of microtubules and memory: implications for microtubule dynamics in dendrites and spines

Microtubules (MTs) are cytoskeletal polymers composed of repeating subunits of tubulin that are ubiquitously expressed in eukaryotic cells. They undergo a stochastic process of polymerization and depolymerization from their plus ends termed dynamic instability. MT dynamics is an ongoing process in a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular biology of the cell 2017-01, Vol.28 (1), p.1-8
Main Author: Dent, Erik W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Axons - metabolism
Cytoskeleton - metabolism
Dendrites - metabolism
Dendrites - physiology
Dendritic Spines - physiology
Humans
Memory - physiology
Microtubules - metabolism
Microtubules - physiology
Neuronal Plasticity
Neurons - metabolism
Polymerization
Synapses - metabolism
Synapses - physiology
Tubulin - metabolism
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Summary:Microtubules (MTs) are cytoskeletal polymers composed of repeating subunits of tubulin that are ubiquitously expressed in eukaryotic cells. They undergo a stochastic process of polymerization and depolymerization from their plus ends termed dynamic instability. MT dynamics is an ongoing process in all cell types and has been the target for the development of several useful anticancer drugs, which compromise rapidly dividing cells. Recent studies also suggest that MT dynamics may be particularly important in neurons, which develop a highly polarized morphology, consisting of a single axon and multiple dendrites that persist throughout adulthood. MTs are especially dynamic in dendrites and have recently been shown to polymerize directly into dendritic spines, the postsynaptic compartment of excitatory neurons in the CNS. These transient polymerization events into dendritic spines have been demonstrated to play important roles in synaptic plasticity in cultured neurons. Recent studies also suggest that MT dynamics in the adult brain function in the essential process of learning and memory and may be compromised in degenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. This raises the possibility of targeting MT dynamics in the design of new therapeutic agents.
ISSN:1059-1524
1939-4586
DOI:10.1091/mbc.e15-11-0769