To prune or strengthen this branch (IMAGE)

Kyushu University

To prune or strengthen this branch

Caption

Like a bonsai, neurons called mitral cells also grow multiple branches. In the beginning, mitral cells branch into many glomeruli, but as development progresses, a single branch is strengthened and the others are pruned away. Kyushu University researchers studying mouse olfactory neurons found that BMPR-2 is one of the key regulators of selective stabilization of neuron branching and that strengthening of that input only happens in the presence of neuron signaling.

Credit

Kyushu University, bonsai provided by @h.h.rockkraft on Instagram

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