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Morphology-Function Relationships of Neurons and Glia Cells
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Morphology-Function Relationships of Neurons and Glia Cells

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2023) | Viewed by 10697

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Markus Kipp

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Anatomy, Rostock University Medical Center, 18055 Rostock, Germany
Interests: neurobiology; neuroscience; neurodegenerative diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The importance of neuronal morphology in brain function has been recognized for over a century. Dendritic morphologies can vary greatly between different classes of neurons in terms of length, arborization, and the presence of dendritic spines. Morphological differences are believed to be related to functional status. Similarly, the morphological characterization of microglia cells makes a significant contribution to our understanding of cell type function. For example, the quantification of microglia arborization and cell shape can be used to determine their activation state. This type of morphology–function relationship is less well established for astrocytes but is supported by data. One example of this type of morphology–function relationship is what has been termed 'neurovascular coupling'. In this scenario, an astrocyte extends one process towards the synapses and the other towards a blood vessel. Thereby, astrocytes are able to adapt the local cerebral blood flow to neuronal activity. Another example is the polarization of the astrocyte processes around the capillaries. This allows the astrocytes to accumulate aquaporin-4 in perivascular regions, thereby allowing them to regulate water transport at the blood–brain interface.

With this Special Issue, we aim to provide a scientific platform for primary articles and reviews describing these types of morphology–function relationships or analyzing cellular morphologies both in vivo and in vitro. Manuscripts describing methodologies to quantify cell morphologies and numbers are equally welcome.

Prof. Dr. Markus Kipp
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cells
  • function
  • morphology
  • brain
  • spinal cord
  • hypertrophy
  • arborization
  • density
  • numbers

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 6223 KiB  
Article
Distinct Alterations in Dendritic Spine Morphology in the Absence of β-Neurexins
by Leonie Mohrmann, Jochen Seebach, Markus Missler and Astrid Rohlmann
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(2), 1285; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25021285 - 20 Jan 2024
Viewed by 739
Abstract
Dendritic spines are essential for synaptic function because they constitute the postsynaptic compartment of the neurons that receives the most excitatory input. The extracellularly shorter variant of the presynaptic cell adhesion molecules neurexins, β-neurexin, has been implicated in various aspects of synaptic function, [...] Read more.
Dendritic spines are essential for synaptic function because they constitute the postsynaptic compartment of the neurons that receives the most excitatory input. The extracellularly shorter variant of the presynaptic cell adhesion molecules neurexins, β-neurexin, has been implicated in various aspects of synaptic function, including neurotransmitter release. However, its role in developing or stabilizing dendritic spines as fundamental computational units of excitatory synapses has remained unclear. Here, we show through morphological analysis that the deletion of β-neurexins in hippocampal neurons in vitro and in hippocampal tissue in vivo affects presynaptic dense-core vesicles, as hypothesized earlier, and, unexpectedly, alters the postsynaptic spine structure. Specifically, we observed that the absence of β-neurexins led to an increase in filopodial-like protrusions in vitro and more mature mushroom-type spines in the CA1 region of adult knockout mice. In addition, the deletion of β-neurexins caused alterations in the spine head dimension and an increase in spines with perforations of their postsynaptic density but no changes in the overall number of spines or synapses. Our results indicate that presynaptic β-neurexins play a role across the synaptic cleft, possibly by aligning with postsynaptic binding partners and glutamate receptors via transsynaptic columns. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Morphology-Function Relationships of Neurons and Glia Cells)
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Review

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32 pages, 724 KiB  
Review
Remyelination in Multiple Sclerosis: Findings in the Cuprizone Model
by Heinig Leo and Markus Kipp
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(24), 16093; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232416093 - 17 Dec 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3578
Abstract
Remyelination therapies, which are currently under development, have a great potential to delay, prevent or even reverse disability in multiple sclerosis patients. Several models are available to study the effectiveness of novel compounds in vivo, among which is the cuprizone model. This model [...] Read more.
Remyelination therapies, which are currently under development, have a great potential to delay, prevent or even reverse disability in multiple sclerosis patients. Several models are available to study the effectiveness of novel compounds in vivo, among which is the cuprizone model. This model is characterized by toxin-induced demyelination, followed by endogenous remyelination after cessation of the intoxication. Due to its high reproducibility and ease of use, this model enjoys high popularity among various research and industrial groups. In this review article, we will summarize recent findings using this model and discuss the potential of some of the identified compounds to promote remyelination in multiple sclerosis patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Morphology-Function Relationships of Neurons and Glia Cells)
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16 pages, 8946 KiB  
Review
Motor Behavioral Deficits in the Cuprizone Model: Validity of the Rotarod Test Paradigm
by Concordia Lubrich, Paula Giesler and Markus Kipp
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11342; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911342 - 26 Sep 2022
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 5874
Abstract
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory disorder, which is histopathologically characterized by multifocal inflammatory demyelinating lesions affecting both the central nervous system’s white and grey matter. Especially during the progressive phases of the disease, immunomodulatory treatment strategies lose their effectiveness. To develop novel [...] Read more.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory disorder, which is histopathologically characterized by multifocal inflammatory demyelinating lesions affecting both the central nervous system’s white and grey matter. Especially during the progressive phases of the disease, immunomodulatory treatment strategies lose their effectiveness. To develop novel progressive MS treatment options, pre-clinical animal models are indispensable. Among the various different models, the cuprizone de- and remyelination model is frequently used. While most studies determine tissue damage and repair at the histological and ultrastructural level, functional readouts are less commonly applied. Among the various overt functional deficits, gait and coordination abnormalities are commonly observed in MS patients. Motor behavior is mediated by a complex neural network that originates in the cortex and terminates in the skeletal muscles. Several methods exist to determine gait abnormalities in small rodents, including the rotarod testing paradigm. In this review article, we provide an overview of the validity and characteristics of the rotarod test in cuprizone-intoxicated mice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Morphology-Function Relationships of Neurons and Glia Cells)
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