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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Apr 19.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Neurosci. 2010 May;11(5):316–328. doi: 10.1038/nrn2836

Table 1.

Examples of molecules involved in dendrite morphogenesis

Molecules Functions in dendrite morphogenesis Refs
Transcription regulators
CUT A homeodomain protein that functions as a multi-level regulator of type-specific dendrite morphology of larval dendritic arborization neurons 27
Abrupt A BTB–zinc finger protein that is expressed in larval class I dendritic arborization neurons, where it limits dendrite size and branching complexity 28,29
Collier (also known as Knot) A member of the early B cell factor or olfactory neuronal transcription factor 1 family that functions in combination with CUT to distinguish class IV from class III dendritic arborization neuron dendrites 3032
Spineless A fly homologue of the mammalian dioxin receptor that diversifies dendrite morphology of larval dendritic arborization neurons 36
ACJ6 and Drifter POU-domain proteins that regulate dendritic targeting in the fly olfactory system 39
CREST A transactivator that regulates Ca2+-dependent dendrite growth of mammalian cortical and hippocampal neurons 42
NEUROD1 A basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) protein that regulates activity-dependent dendrite morphogenesis of mammalian neurons 41
CREB A DNA-binding protein that regulates activity-dependent dendrite morphogenesis of mammalian neurons 43,44
Neurogenin 2 A bHLH protein that specifies the dendrite morphology of pyramidal neurons in the mammalian neocortex 40
nBAF complexes Neuron-specific chromatin remodelling complexes that bind CREST and regulate activity-dependent dendrite development of mammalian CNS neurons; their D. melanogaster homologues are involved in dendrite morphogenesis in dendritic arborization neurons 33,45
Polycomb group genes Components of the Polycomb complex that regulate the maintenance of larval dendritic arborization dendrites 146
Secreted proteins and cell surface receptors
Neurotrophins and tyrosine kinase receptors Regulate dendritic growth and complexities of mammalian cortical neurons in a neuronal type-dependent manner 54,55
BMP7 Promotes dendrite growth in rat sympathetic neurons 56
WNT and Dishevelled Regulate dendrite morphogenesis in mammalian neurons 72
EPHB1, EPHB2 and EPHB3 Promote dendritic complexity of mammalian hippocampal neurons 91
Semaphorins and Plexin–Neuropilin Regulate dendritic targeting and branching in mammalian cortical neurons and fly olfactory neurons 48,50,52
Slit and Robo Regulate dendrite growth and targeting of fly neurons 46,47,127,128
Netrin and Frazzled Regulate dendritic targeting of fly motor neurons 127,128
Reelin Regulates dendrite growth of mammalian cortical neurons 135
Cytoskeletal regulators
RAC and CDC42 Rho family GTPases that regulate dendrite growth and branching in vertebrate and invertebrate neurons 59,62,63, 69,71
RHOA A Rho family GTPase that limits dendrite growth in vertebrate and invertebrate neurons 60,63,67
Motors
KIF5 A kinesin involved in dendrite morphogenesis of mammalian hippocampal neurons 91
Dynein Mutations of Dynein cause a distal to proximal shift of the dendrite branching pattern of larval dendritic arborization neurons 57,58
LIS1 A dynein-interacting protein linked to lissencephaly; mutations cause reduced dendritic arborization in flies and mice 57,8689
Secretory pathway and endocytic pathway
DAR3 (fly) or SAR1 (mammalian) A regulator of ER to Golgi transport preferentially required for dendrite growth of mammalian hippocampal neurons and larval dendritic arborization neurons 82
DAR2 (fly) or SEC23 (mammalian) and DAR6 (fly) or RAB1(mammalian) Regulators of ER to Golgi transport preferentially required for dendrite versus axonal growth of larval dendritic arborization neurons 82
RAB5 A component of the early endocytic pathway that promotes dendrite branching of fly dendritic arborization neurons 58
Shrub A fly homologue of SNF7, a component of the ESCRT-III complex, which is a regulator of dendrite branching of larval dendritic arborization neurons 83
Cell adhesion
DSCAM (fly) Mediates self-avoidance of dendrites of the same neuron and enables co-existence of dendrites of different neuron types 102105
DSCAM and DSCAML1 (mouse) Unlike their fly homologues, murine Dscam and Dscaml1 do not undergo extensive alternative splicing; they are required for dendrite self-avoidance but do not confer neuronal identity 98,109
Hippo pathway
TRC and FRY Required for dendritic tiling of larval class IV dendritic arborization neurons 123
SAX-1 and SAX-2 Homologues of TRC and FRY required for dendritic tiling in Caenorhabditis elegans 125
WTS and SAV Regulators of the maintenance of larval class IV dendritic arborization neurons 147
Bantam A microRNA required for dendritic scaling of larval class IV dendritic arborization neurons 131
Hippo Regulates dendritic tiling and dendritic maintenance of larval class IV dendritic arborization neurons through the two NDR kinase family members, TRC and WTS, respectively 147
PIK3–mTOR pathway
AKT Promotes dendritic growth and branching of larval class IV dendritic arborization neurons and mammalian cortical neurons 132136
PTEN Limits dendrite growth and branching of larval class IV dendritic arborization neurons 132
TORC2 Required for dendritic tiling of larval class IV dendritic arborization neuron 124
RNA targeting and local translation
Pumilio and Nanos RNA-binding proteins required for dendrite growth and branching of larval class III and class IV dendritic arborization neurons 137
Glorund and Smaug Bind to Nanos mRNA and regulate dendrite growth of larval class IV dendritic arborization neurons 138
Staufen 1 A murine homologue of fly Staufen, which functions in dendritic targeting of ribonucleoprotein particles and dendritic branching 139
CPEB A PolyA-binding protein implicated in mRNA trafficking, translational regulation and experience-dependent dendrite growth in frog neurons 141
FMR1 Involved in mRNA transport and translation regulation in dendrites, and dendrite morphogenesis 6
Others
Origin recognition complex Regulates dendrite and spine development in mammalian neurons 80
Anaphase-promoting complex Specifically regulates axon or dendrite morphogenesis in murine cerebellar granule cells depending on whether the co-activator CDH1 or CDH20 is recruited 152,153

BMP7, bone morphogenetic protein 7 (also known as OP1); CDH, cadherin; CPEB, cytoplasmic polyadenylation element-binding protein; CREB, cAMP response element-binding protein; CREST, Ca2+-responsive transactivator; DSCAM, Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule; DSCAML1, Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule-like protein 1 homologue; EPHB, ephrin receptor type B; ER, endoplasmic reticulum; ESCRT, endosomal sorting complex required for transport; FMR1, fragile X mental retardation 1 protein; FRY, Furry; KIF5, kinesin-related protein 5; mTOR, mammalian target of rapamycin; nBAF, neuron-specific BRG1-associated factor; NDR, nuclear DBF2-related; NEUROD1, neurogenic differentiation factor 1; PI3K, phosphoinositide 3-kinase; POU, PIT1–OCT1–UNC86; PTEN, phosphatase and tensin homologue; RAC, RAS-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate; SAV, Salvador; TORC2, target of rapamycin complex 2; TRC, Tricornered; WTS, Warts.