Studying the effect of Ran GTPase on dendritic spine morphogenesis

Che-Jui Yeh1, Eric Hwang 1,2,3

1 Institute of Molecular Medicine and Bioengineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University 2 Institute of Bioinformatic and System Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University 3 Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Dendritic spines are dynamic structures that can undergo morphological changes within minutes. They can change in response to neuronal activity, which is essential for learning and memory. Change in the shape of dendritic spines are important for the connections between neurons. Recent research has demonstrated that the actin cytoskeleton is not the only factor influencing the shape of dendritic spines; microtubules have also been documented to invade into dendritic spines and alter the dendritic spine morphology. Ran GTPase has been identified as one of the microtubule nucleation regulators in neurons and can influence the morphology of neurons, but its role in dendritic spine morphogenesis remains elusive. In this study, we used an optogenetic tool to manipulate the availability of Ran GTPase in close proximity to dendritic spines. Our findings will shed light on the role of Ran GTPase in dendritic spine morphogenesis.