Reliable Quantification of Dendritic Spine Density

Studies have suggested that the hundreds of risk genes involved in intellectual disability and autism converge on a few key biological processes in neurons. This study focussed on one of these processes, known as the - catenin/canonical Wnt signaling pathway. They studied the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) protein, which is the major negative regulator for this pathway. APC’s role in brain development, function, learning, and behavior is poorly defined. The researchers used Imaris software to test whether loss of APC and the higher levels of -catenin that come with this loss affect the density and structural maturation of dendritic spines. This application note presents their methods and findings.