The preferred method for detailed study of cell morphology and topology is from 3D reconstructions ( Stevens and Trogadis, 1984 Wilson et al., 1987). For example, structures that are orthogonal to the imaging plane, or structures that overlap each other along the imaging axis cannot be identified. The topology (branching structure) of neuronal dendrites and their spines underlie the connectivity of neural networks and may therefore be important predictors of their function ( Koh et al., 2002).ģD light microscopy images of neurons have a significant amount of information that is lost when projecting to 2D. It is hypothesized that the dendritic spine structure affects the physiological properties of synapses located on them ( Harris et al., 1992 Benshalom and White, 1988 Harris and Stevens, 1988).
Important aspects of cognitive function, such as experience-based learning ( Engert and Bonhoeffer, 1999), attention and memory ( Moser et al., 1994) are correlated with variations in dendritic arborescence and with spine density and distribution ( Glantz and Lewis, 2000 Zito et al., 2004). Spines can assume different shapes and appear and disappear totally ( Hering and Sheng, 2001) and their morphological changes have been proven to be associated with synaptic plasticity ( Yuste and Bonhoeffer, 2001). Dendrites are tree-like structure of a neuronal cell and spines are small protrusions formed on the surface of a dendrite.
These conditions include Alzheimer’s disease ( Spires et al., 2005), Parkinson’s disease ( Comery et al., 1997), tuberous sclerosis complex syndrome ( Tavazoie et al., 2005), and other neurological diseases. Dendritic spines, or spines in short, play a significant role in many neurological conditions ( Kasai et al., 2003 Nimchinsky et al., 2002). In neurobiology, 3D reconstruction of neuronal structures such as dendrites and spines is essential for understanding the relationship between their morphology and functions ( Dima et al., 2001) and helps us understand neuronal circuitry and behaviour in neurodegenerative diseases.
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