Zyxin dynamics and F-actin reorganization in dendritic spines

Abstract

Actin dynamics drive structural changes in dendritic spines as a response to environmental stimuli. Synaptic transmission is transduced by signaling proteins that bridge postsynaptic proteins with the cytoskeleton. Zyxin is a focal adhesion protein that promotes cytoskeletal reorganization and has been characterized in fibroblasts and cancer cells, but the protein has not been described in the central nervous system. Here, we establish zyxin as a novel postsynaptic protein and show its recruitment to dendritic spines during F-actin polymerization in rat hippocampal neurons.