Synaptic clusters on dendrites are extraordinarily compact computational building blocks. They contribute to key local computations through biophysical and biochemical signaling that utilizes convergence in space and time as an organizing principle. However, these computations can only arise in very special contexts. Dendritic cluster computations, their highly organized input connectivity, and the mechanisms for their formation are closely linked, yet these have not been analyzed as parts of a single process. Here, we examine these linkages. The sheer density of axonal and dendritic arborizations means that there are far more potential connections (close enough for a spine to reach an axon) than actual ones. We see how dendritic clusters draw upon electrical, chemical, and mechano-chemical signaling to implement the rules for formation of connections and subsequent computations. Crucially, the same mechanisms that underlie their functions also underlie their formation.

中文翻译：

---

突触簇中的计算、布线和可塑性。

树突上的突触簇是非常紧凑的计算构建块。它们通过利用空间和时间收敛作为组织原则的生物物理和生化信号为关键的局部计算做出贡献。然而，这些计算只能在非常特殊的情况下出现。树突簇计算、它们高度组织化的输入连接以及它们的形成机制密切相关，但尚未将这些作为单个过程的一部分进行分析。在这里，我们检查这些联系。轴突和树突树枝状结构的绝对密度意味着与实际连接相比，潜在连接（足够接近脊柱到达轴突）要多得多。我们看到树枝状簇如何利用电、化学、和机械化学信号，以实现连接形成和后续计算的规则。至关重要的是，构成其功能的相同机制也是其形成的基础。