NeuroMorpho.Org is the largest centrally curated online repository of digital reconstructions of axonal and dendritic morphologies.
This public resource freely provides light and electron microscopy tracings contributed by more than 220 labs worldwide from over 500 publications.
OnAir Post: A Decade of NeuroMorpho.Org
“Comparative topological analysis of neuronal arbors via sequence representation and alignment” By Todd Gillette, PhD | June 2015
This dissertation is focused on applying bioinformatic approaches to neuronal morphology to enable new discoveries and increase understanding about how morphology and neuron function interrelate.
Neuronal morphology plays a major role in the electrophysiological and connectivity characteristics of neurons, and thus in neuron and network function.
Various morphometrics have been applied in studying neurons; however, the structural patterns of the tree-like dendrites and axons have yet to be fully explored. These patterns may reflect strategies that achieve functional properties such as dendritic compartmentalization, space filling, and targeting of various spatial distributions of synapses.
To address these issues we analyzed thousands of neurons, made available via NeuroMorpho.Org, in terms of structural patterns by representing their arbors (axons, dendrites, apical dendrites) as gene-like sequences. We compared neurons by arborization type within and between cell classes using sequence analysis techniques. Sequence domains can be used in conjunction with functional studies to further elucidate the structure-function relationship.
Poster PDF
BigNeuron: Building consensus among automated morphological reconstructions By Todd A. Gillette , Hanchuan Peng, Xiaoxiao Liu, Yinan Wan, Giorgio A. Ascoli
A community effort to find out what is exactly the state-of-the-art of single neuron reconstruction, standardize the protocols, and esablish a Big Data resource for neuroscience.
OnAir Post: Analysis of Neuronal Arbors
Prominent research efforts are unveiling how circuits constitute the basic functional units of nervous systems.
Among them, Drosophila is currently the species with more promising results in mapping brain-wide connections at the
individual neuron level. The pioneering FlyCircuit Database has already traced and co-registered the neurite wiring corresponding to approximately 10% (v1.0) and 23% (v1.1) of the cells in the Drosophila brain.
OnAir Post: Circuitry Profiling in the Drosophila Brain
We present the definition of a novel multichannel file structure and corresponding Vaa3D plug-in to handle this new type of data. We also introduce a design to tag dynamic structural changes in a time-coded manner. Next, we illustrate ongoing progress in using the multichannel/time-lapse system on developing neurons in the Drosophila larva. Time-varying images of overall neuronal morphology along with fluorescently labeled subcellular cytoskeletal components are digitally traced into the aforementioned file structures. These new reconstructions enable complete statistical analysis of the structural changes and the underlying molecular processes.
OnAir Post: Digital Reconstructions of Neuronal Morphology
