Dendritic spines are small dendritic protrusions that harbor most excitatory synapses in the brain. The proper generation and maturation of dendritic spines are crucial for the regulation of synaptic transmission and formation of neuronal circuits. Abnormalities in dendritic spine density and morphology are common pathologies in autism and schizophrenia. According to epidemiological studies, one risk factor for these neurodevelopmental disorders is maternal infection during pregnancy. This review discusses spine alterations in animal models of maternal immune activation in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders. We describe potential mechanisms that might be responsible for prenatal infection-induced changes in the dendritic spine phenotype and behavior in offspring.

中文翻译：

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母体免疫激活对树突棘发育的影响

树突棘是小的树突突起，在大脑中含有大多数兴奋性突触。树突棘的适当生成和成熟对于突触传递的调节和神经元回路的形成至关重要。树突棘密度和形态异常是自闭症和精神分裂症的常见病理。根据流行病学研究，这些神经发育障碍的一个危险因素是怀孕期间的母体感染。本综述讨论了神经发育障碍背景下母体免疫激活动物模型的脊柱改变。我们描述了可能导致产前感染引起的树突棘表型和后代行为变化的潜在机制。