This study introduces dendritome mapping, a high-throughput systems biology pipeline designed to profile the complex dendritic morphology of individual neurons in the mouse brain. By utilizing advanced 3D reconstruction and automated registration into a reference atlas, the researchers cataloged over 3,700 striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs). Their findings reveal that neuronal shape is heavily influenced by both genetic type (D1 versus D2) and precise spatial location within the striatum. The research specifically identifies six morphological modules associated with distinct corticostriatal inputs and documents structural changes caused by aging and Huntington’s disease. Ultimately, this work provides a scalable framework and a massive open-access dataset to better understand how neuronal architecture relates to brain function and pathology.

References:

• Park C S, Yan M, Zhu M, et al. Dendritome mapping reveals the spatial organization of striatal neuron morphology[J]. Nature Neuroscience, 2025: 1-16.