CaMKIIα plays an essential role in decoding Ca²⁺ signaling in spines by acting as a leaky Ca²⁺ integrator with the time constant of several seconds. However, the mechanism by which CaMKIIα integrates Ca2+ signals remains elusive. Here, we imaged CaMKIIα-CaM association in single dendritic spines using a new FRET sensor and two-photon fluorescence lifetime imaging. In response to a glutamate uncaging pulse, CaMKIIα-CaM association increases in ~0.1 s and decays over ~3 s. During repetitive glutamate uncaging, which induces spine structural plasticity, CaMKIIα-CaM association did not show further increase but sustained at a constant level. Since CaMKIIα activity integrates Ca²⁺ signals over ~10 s under this condition, the integration of Ca2+ signal by CaMKIIα during spine structural plasticity is largely due to Ca²⁺/CaM-independent, autonomous activity. Based on these results, we propose a simple kinetic model of CaMKIIα activation in dendritic spines.
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