Dendritic shaft constrictions shape synaptic integration in neurons

Science Advances, vol. 12, pp. eaec4911

Abstract

For nearly 150 years, textbooks have described dendritic morphology as optimized for efficient synaptic voltage transfer from spines to the soma, implemented as a tubular design respecting Rall's 3/2 rule for impedance matching at branch points. Here, we reveal that this view is an oversimplification. Using multiple high-resolution imaging techniques, we demonstrate that dendrites in cortical and hippocampal neurons exhibit nanoscale constrictions, termed dendritic shaft constrictions (DSCs), with diameters ranging from ∼100 to 500 nanometers in mice. We also identified DSCs in human hippocampal and cortical neurons. We provide theoretical and experimental lines of evidence that these constrictions effectively partition the dendrite into distinct electrical compartments, shaping dendritic integration of synaptic potentials.

Authors 22

1. Michael Döngi

   University of Bonn

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Physiologie II, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany

2. Juan Eduardo Rodriguez-Gatica

   University of Bonn

   Affiliation as printed

   Clausius-Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

   Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

3. Netanel Ofer

   Ariel University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel

4. Carlos Wert-Carvajal

   University of Bonn

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

5. Niclas Cissewski

   University of Bonn

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

6. Michela Barboni

   University of Bonn

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

7. Philipp Bethge

   Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université de Bordeaux · University of Zurich · Institut Interdisciplinaire de Neuroscience

   Affiliation as printed

   Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

   Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, UMR 5297 CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France

8. Christin M. Godale

   Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Anesthesia, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA

9. Sarah Yaser

   Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Anesthesia, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA

10. Michel K. Herde

    University of Bonn · University of Otago

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Neuroendocrinology, Department of Physiology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Institute of Cellular Neurosciences, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

11. Jens F. Tillmann

    University of Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

12. Sabrina Ingrid Peter Aachen Department of Neurology Department of Epileptology

    Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Neurology, Department of Epileptology, RWTH Uniklinik, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

13. Sebastián Dupraz

    University of Bonn · German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases

    Affiliation as printed

    Axonal Growth and Regeneration Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany

    Institute for Neurovascular Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

14. Henner Koch Aachen Department of Neurology Department of Epileptology

    Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Neurology, Department of Epileptology, RWTH Uniklinik, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany

15. Valentin Stein

    University of Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut für Physiologie II, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany

16. Frank Bradke

    German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases

    Affiliation as printed

    Axonal Growth and Regeneration Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany

17. Steve C. Danzer

    Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center · University of Cincinnati

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Anesthesia, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Department of Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA

18. Tatjana Tchumatchenko

    University of Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

19. Martin K. Schwarz

    University of Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

20. Ulrich Kubitscheck

    University of Bonn

    Affiliation as printed

    Clausius-Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

21. U. Valentin Nägerl

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université de Bordeaux · Universitätsmedizin Göttingen · Institut Interdisciplinaire de Neuroscience · University of Göttingen

    Affiliation as printed

    Institut für Anatomie und Zellbiologie, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience, UMR 5297 CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France

22. Heinz Beck

    University of Bonn · German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases

    Affiliation as printed

    Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen e.V., Bonn, Germany

    Institute for Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany