Methodology for development of single cell dendritic spine (SCDS) synaptic tagging and capture model using Virtual Cell (VCell)

Raheel Khan; D Kulasiri; S Samarasinghe

doi:10.1016/j.mex.2023.102070

Methodology for development of single cell dendritic spine (SCDS) synaptic tagging and capture model using Virtual Cell (VCell)

MethodsX. 2023 Feb 11:10:102070. doi: 10.1016/j.mex.2023.102070. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Raheel Khan¹, D Kulasiri¹, S Samarasinghe¹

Affiliation

¹ Centre for Advanced Computational Solutions (C-fACS), RFH066, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Abstract

Single cell dendritic spine modelling methodology has been adopted to explain structural plasticity and respective change in the neuronal volume previously. However, the single cell dendrite methodology has not been employed previously to explain one of the important aspects of memory allocation i.e., Synaptic tagging and Capture (STC) hypothesis. It is difficult to relate the physical properties of STC pathways to structural changes and synaptic strength. We create a mathematical model based on earlier reported synaptic tagging networks. We built the model using Virtual Cell (VCell) software and used it to interpret experimental data and investigate the behavior and characteristics of known Synaptic tagging candidates.•We investigate processes associated with synaptic tagging candidates and compare them to the assumptions based on the STC hypothesis.•We assess the behavior of several reported synaptic tagging candidates against the requirements outlined in the synaptic tagging hypothesis.

Keywords: CaMKII-NMDAR complex; Late-Long term potentiation; Memory allocation; Single cell dendritic spine; Single cell dendritic spine (SCDS) STC-model; Synaptic plasticity; Synaptic tagging and capture.