From morphogenesis to morphodynamics neuroscience: modeling the growth of dendritic shape in pyramidal cells of the piriform cortex in infant rats

Within the framework of morphogenesis of complex systems proposed by Turing, Hely, and Lesne-Bourgine, we modeled the growth of the dendritic shape of the anterior piriform cortex (aPC) pyramidal cells within the first 2 weeks of the postnatal period of development. We used agent-based modeling with three diffusion models (microtubule-associated protein 2, tubulin, and calcium) and mathematical equations to represent the dendritic growth of developing neurons. We adjusted the timing and distribution of dendritic growth to fit experimental data from the literature. We first simulate the dendritic growth of aPC pyramidal cells adjusted to postnatal day (PND) 1, on which a group of neurons was simulated mimicking the development of dendritic growth from PND 1–7 (phase 1) and from PND 7 to 14 (phase 2). Our agent-based model produced simulated dendrites that fit the general characteristic morphology (branching and elongation) of actual aPC pyramidal cells. However, the simulation per dendritic layer only fits the morphology of L2 but not the L1b or L1a of the actual pyramidal cell. We discuss these results in the context of morphodynamics neuroscience in complex systems, where the particular characteristics of a neuron’s neighborhood could limit its dendritic growth. Each neighborhood is different for each brain region, and these interactions could define its shape. It could be that microcircuitry, the organization of efferent and afferent connectivity, learning, and contingencies, organizes the shape of a certain brain region. Graphical abstract