Modifying dendritic structure after function

Abstract

Neurons develop highly specialized dendritic architecture for certain operations of information processing in the brain. In this chapter, we review the development and regulation of characterized patterns of dendritic morphology and arrangement of bipolar neurons in the auditory brainstem, an excellent example of highly specialized dendritic architecture for their function in temporal coding and coincidence detection. We describe dramatic dynamics of the dendrites in both developing and mature systems and discuss the role of afferent synaptic input in influencing both the size of dendritic tree and the pattern of dendritic arborizations. The unique dendritic structure of these neurons provides an advantageous model for further understanding of the specific roles of neurotransmission, calcium signaling, protein synthesis, and cytoskeletal regulation in this important form of brain dynamics. Importantly, these neurons are highly conserved structurally and functionally across vertebrates including humans, emphasizing stereotyped dendritic regulation that is evolutionarily conserved for fundamental information processing operations in the vertebrate brain.