Dendrites are cellular structures essential for the integration of neuronal information. These elegant but complex structures are highly patterned across the nervous system but vary tremendously in their size and fine architecture, each designed to best serve specific computations within their networks. Recent in vivo imaging studies reveal that the development of mature dendrite arbors in many cases involves extensive remodeling achieved through a precisely orchestrated interplay of growth, degeneration, and regeneration of dendritic branches. Both degeneration and regeneration of dendritic branches involve precise spatiotemporal regulation for the proper wiring of functional networks. In particular, dendrite degeneration must be targeted in a compartmentalized manner to avoid neuronal death. Dysregulation of these developmental processes, in particular dendrite degeneration, is associated with certain types of pathology, injury, and aging. In this article, we review recent progress in our understanding of dendrite degeneration and regeneration, focusing on molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying spatiotemporal control of dendrite remodeling in neural development. We further discuss how developmental dendrite degeneration and regeneration are molecularly and functionally related to dendrite remodeling in pathology, disease, and aging.

树突是整合神经元信息必不可少的细胞结构。这些优雅而复杂的结构在整个神经系统中具有很高的模式，但是它们的大小和精细的结构却有很大的不同，每个结构都旨在最有效地服务于网络中的特定计算。最近体内成像研究表明，在许多情况下，成熟的树枝状乔木的发育涉及到广泛的重塑，这些重塑是通过精确协调的树突状分支的生长，退化和再生相互作用实现的。树突状分支的变性和再生都涉及精确的时空调节，以实现功能网络的正确布线。特别地，必须以分隔方式靶向树突变性，以避免神经元死亡。这些发育过程的失调，特别是枝晶变性，与某些类型的病理学，损伤和衰老有关。在本文中，我们回顾了我们对枝晶变性和再生的理解的最新进展，着重于神经发育中树突重构时空控制的分子和细胞机制。我们将进一步讨论发育性枝晶的变性和再生在病理，疾病和衰老方面与枝晶重塑如何在分子和功能上相关。