Dendritic Remodeling: Lessons from Invertebrate Model Systems

Dendrites are the entry site of neural signals into neurons. Once formed, dendrites are not just the same in structure but rather are dynamically remodeled in vivo: some dendrites are pruned away, while others lengthen and branch out. Dendritic remodeling occurs not only during neural development, but also in mature dendrites under both physiological and pathological conditions, suggesting its contribution to neural plasticity. The underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remained poorly understood until recently, but they are just beginning to be elucidated from recent studies on invertebrate model systems. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of how dendrites are remodeled by focusing particularly on insights obtained from Drosophila sensory neurons.