New paper out: Clustered inputs engage dendritic nonlinearities and calcium signaling to support efficient place-field formation in CA1 pyramidal neurons

📯Excited to share our latest paper, led by Simone Tasciotti and supervised by Dr. Panayiota Poirazi in collaboration with the Losonczy and Polleux labs, now published in Cell Reports!
🗞️In this study, we explored how the topological distribution of synapses across CA1 pyramidal neurons shapes spatial selectivity. By combining in vivo mapping with detailed biophysical modeling, we found that excitatory synapses form structural clusters on terminal dendrites, enabling neurons to generate stable place fields while using about 13% fewer active synapses. These clustered inputs trigger localized dendritic nonlinearities and sustained calcium influx that cannot be replicated by dispersed arrangements, highlighting synaptic clustering as a key mechanism for efficient, compartmentalized computation in the hippocampus.
Read the full open-access paper here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2026.117793