Inhibition of Rho via Arg and p190RhoGAP in the postnatal mouse hippocampus regulates dendritic spine maturation, synapse and dendrite stability, and behavior.

The RhoA (Rho) GTPase is a master regulator of dendrite morphogenesis. Rho activation in developing neurons slows dendrite branch dynamics, yielding smaller, less branched dendrite arbors. Constitutive activation of Rho in mature neurons causes dendritic spine loss and dendritic regression, indicating that Rho can affect dendritic structure and function even after dendrites have developed.

Abl family nonreceptor tyrosine kinases modulate short-term synaptic plasticity.

Abl family nonreceptor tyrosine kinases regulate cell morphogenesis through functional interactions with the actin cytoskeleton. The vertebrate Abl family kinases, Abl and Arg, are expressed in the adult mouse brain, where they may regulate actin cytoskeletal dynamics in mature neurons. Using immunoelectron microscopy, we have localized Abl and Arg to the pre- and postsynaptic compartments of synapses in the mouse hippocampal area CA1.