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Fig. 8. Dyn3 interacts with PSD proteins to regulate dendritic spine maturation. (A) During synaptogenesis and early development, enhancing the expression of one of two PSD binding partners can lead to opposite dendritic spine phenotypes. Expression of Homer causes a supermaturation of spines, with these protrusions becoming larger and fully functional at an immature stage [11DIV (Sala et al., 2001)]. Conversely, expression of Dyn3baa inhibits the neuron from maturing and assembling spine synapses, leaving the cell in an immature state into the later stages of development (18DIV). An overabundance of another Dyn3 spliced variant (Dyn3aaa) or the GTPase-deficient Dyn3baa (Dyn3baaKA) has little effect on the normal spine developmental program; filopodia are eventually replaced by mushroom-shaped spines. (B,C) Theoretical modeling of Dyn3aaa (B) and Dyn3baa (C) of 100 amino acids around the PH domain based on the solved structure of Rac. Proline and charged residues in the insert [red in Dyn3baa (C)] might give rise to a protruding turned region extending away from the compact structure of the PH domain, as seen for Dyn3aaa in (B).

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