Branching out: mechanisms of dendritic arborization

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Abstract
Mechanisms such as differential reliance on the secretory pathway contribute to the differentiation of axons and dendrites. A number of transcription factors confer neurons with distinctive dendrite morphologies. Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule (DSCAM) has an evolutionarily conserved role in mediating self-avoidance of dendrites such that the dendrites of each neuron can spread out. Certain types of neurons exhibit homotypic repulsion of their dendrites to allow tiling of their dendritic fields for maximal coverage without ambiguity. Tiling and dendrite maintenance can be differentially regulated by the NDR (nuclear DBF2-related) kinase family members Tricornered and Warts, respectively. They in turn are regulated by the tumour suppressor Hippo. In Drosophila melanogaster, dendrite expansion in sensory neurons is scaled to precisely match the growing epidermis. This is controlled by the microRNA bantam in epithelial cells, which signals to adjacent neurons. Defects in dendrite morphogenesis might contribute to mental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism.