Characterizing the role of dendritic spine heterogeneity and motility in regulating spine structure and function

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The main aim of the proposal is to investigate the role of spine shape heterogeneity and motility in synapse maintenance and plasticity. From this proposal we will gain insight into the functional role of spine motility, the function of heterogeneity in spine shape, transition states between morphological classes of spines and the role of the axon during spine shape changes. Since dendritic spines are assumed to underlie cellular elements of memory, these studies are expected to contribute to our understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of learning and memory.