Fig 11. Schematic representation of CaMKII phosphorylation controlling sensitivity of a synapse to Ca²⁺ signals.

In the PSD, influx of Ca²⁺ through the ion channel, binding of Ca²⁺ to calmodulin, and phosphorylation of CaMKII sets off the series of events associated with synaptic plasticity. In this work, we show that the competition between neurogranin sequestration of calmodulin and Ca²⁺ binding of calmodulin affects CaMKII dynamics. This has implications for the feedback between Ca²⁺ in the spine and structural plasticity of the spine, particularly size dynamics.