Microtubule Organization and Microtubule-Associated Proteins (MAPs)

Dendrites have a unique microtubule organization. In vertebrates, dendritic
microtubules are organized in antiparallel bundles, oriented with their plus
ends either pointing away or toward the soma. The mixed microtubule arrays
control intracellular trafficking and local signaling pathways, and are essential for
dendrite development and function. The organization of microtubule arrays largely
depends on the combined function of different microtubule regulatory factors or
generally named microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs). Classical MAPs, also
called structural MAPs, were identified more than 20 years ago based on their
ability to bind to and copurify with microtubules. Most classical MAPs bind along
the microtubule lattice and regulate microtubule polymerization, bundling, and
stabilization. Recent evidences suggest that classical MAPs also guide motor
protein transport, interact with the actin cytoskeleton, and act in various neuronal
signaling networks. Here, we give an overview of microtubule organization in
dendrites and the role of classical MAPs in dendrite development, dendritic spine
formation, and synaptic plasticity.