Featured
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Letter |
Stereospecific binding of a disordered peptide segment mediates BK channel inactivation
Two-step BK channel inactivation mediated by an intrinsically disordered BK β-subunit peptide involves a stereospecific binding interaction that precedes blockade.
- Vivian Gonzalez-Perez
- , Xu-Hui Zeng
- & Christopher J. Lingle
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Letter |
Regulation of circadian behaviour and metabolism by REV-ERB-α and REV-ERB-β
The nuclear receptors REV-ERB-α and REV-ERB-β are indispensible for the coordination of circadian rhythm and metabolism; mice without these nuclear receptors show disrupted circadian expression of core circadian clock and lipid homeostatic gene networks.
- Han Cho
- , Xuan Zhao
- & Ronald M. Evans
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Letter |
Deciphering a neuronal circuit that mediates appetite
Dissection of the neuronal circuit driving feeding behaviour in mice shows that suppression of the parabrachial nucleus protects against aphagia and promotes weight gain, and also that the parabrachial nucleus is an integration hub that bidirectionally modulates feeding and body weight.
- Qi Wu
- , Michael S. Clark
- & Richard D. Palmiter
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News & Views |
How brains learn to control machines
After training, animals and humans can make their thoughts interact directly with computers. A study provides evidence that the corticostriatal system of the brain is essential for this learning process.
- David T. Blake
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Letter |
Corticostriatal plasticity is necessary for learning intentional neuroprosthetic skills
A novel study in rodents suggests that corticostriatal plasticity is necessary for abstract skill learning.
- Aaron C. Koralek
- , Xin Jin
- & Jose M. Carmena
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Article |
Gain control by layer six in cortical circuits of vision
Layer six in the mouse primary visual cortex is a major mediator of cortical gain modulation and may be a node through which convergent inputs from several brain areas can regulate the earliest steps of cortical visual processing.
- Shawn R. Olsen
- , Dante S. Bortone
- & Massimo Scanziani
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Letter |
Purkinje neuron synchrony elicits time-locked spiking in the cerebellar nuclei
Through a combination of intrinsic and synaptic properties, synchronous activation of a small number of Purkinje cells can set the spike timing of target neurons in the cerebellar nuclei.
- Abigail L. Person
- & Indira M. Raman
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Article |
A disinhibitory microcircuit for associative fear learning in the auditory cortex
Stimulus convergence and concomitant auditory cortex disinhibition are essential for fear learning.
- Johannes J. Letzkus
- , Steffen B. E. Wolff
- & Andreas Lüthi
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Letter |
Reversal of cocaine-evoked synaptic potentiation resets drug-induced adaptive behaviour
In mice, cocaine is found to potentiate excitatory transmission in medium-sized spiny neurons expressing the type-1 dopamine receptor; depotentiation reversed cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization, raising the possibility of novel treatments for addiction.
- Vincent Pascoli
- , Marc Turiault
- & Christian Lüscher
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Letter |
Modulation of TRPA1 thermal sensitivity enables sensory discrimination in Drosophila
Many TRP ion channels respond to more than one category of cue, and how they discriminate between them is largely unknown; the mechanism by which TRPA1 discriminates between sensory stimuli in Drosophila is now determined.
- Kyeongjin Kang
- , Vincent C. Panzano
- & Paul A. Garrity
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News & Views |
Immune cells fuel the fire
Regulation of body temperature by the nervous system is essential for physiological function in both health and disease. The immune system also seems to have a crucial role in this process. See Letter p.104
- Andrew J. Whittle
- & Antonio Vidal-Puig
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Letter |
A heteromeric Texas coral snake toxin targets acid-sensing ion channels to produce pain
- Christopher J. Bohlen
- , Alexander T. Chesler
- & David Julius
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Letter |
Active tactile exploration using a brain–machine–brain interface
- Joseph E. O’Doherty
- , Mikhail A. Lebedev
- & Miguel A. L. Nicolelis
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Research Highlights |
Pay attention to the neurons
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Books & Arts |
Neuroscience: Mind your head
Josie Glausiusz enjoys a thought-provoking exhibition.
- Josie Glausiusz
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Article |
Start/stop signals emerge in nigrostriatal circuits during sequence learning
The appropriate initiation and termination of behavioural action sequences is imperative, but the neural mechanisms underlying the learning and execution of fixed behavioural patterns are poorly understood. Here the authors reveal start/stop neuronal activity in basal ganglia circuits that emerge during task training in mice. Genetically altering these circuits disrupted the activity and impaired performance, providing evidence for a causal relationship between the specific neuronal activity and task learning.
- Xin Jin
- & Rui M. Costa
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Letter |
A novel pathway regulates memory and plasticity via SIRT1 and miR-134
The deacetylase SIRT1 has been suggested to function in normal brain physiology, but it is not known whether it participates in higher-order brain functions. These authors demonstrate a role for SIRT1 in synaptic plasticity and memory formation, with activation enhancing synaptic strength and memory formation. These effects were regulated through a post-transcriptional mechanism involving CREB activation and miR-134 production. This interplay represents another mechanism of plasticity regulation with behavioural consequences.
- Jun Gao
- , Wen-Yuan Wang
- & Li-Huei Tsai
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Letter |
Regulation of parkinsonian motor behaviours by optogenetic control of basal ganglia circuitry
It has long been thought that motor control is achieved through the balanced activity of two distinct pathways through the basal ganglia that have opposing effects, but this has never been functionally verified. These authors directly test this hypothesis with optogenetic activation of different populations of mouse striatal neurons, and not only trace functional connectivity but demonstrate opposing effects on motor behaviour in a parkinsonian model.
- Alexxai V. Kravitz
- , Benjamin S. Freeze
- & Anatol C. Kreitzer
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Letter |
Sparse coding and high-order correlations in fine-scale cortical networks
Sensory cortical neurons are interconnected at different scales, and this could be related to differences in functional interactions. Using maximum entropy models, these authors explore the correlation structure of neurons in primary visual cortex of anaesthetized monkeys recorded using multiple tetrodes. They conclude that distant neurons display pairwise correlations but that local networks can have more complex interactions that may act to sparsify the neural code.
- Ifije E. Ohiorhenuan
- , Ferenc Mechler
- & Jonathan D. Victor
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Research Highlights |
Neuroscience: Live-action brain cells
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News |
Why the body isn't thirsty at night
Body clock is a hormonal dimmer switch that controls water loss.
- Andrew Bennett Hellman
Molecular mechanism of ATP binding and ion channel activation in P2X receptors
Brain function and chromatin plasticity
Lost curve hits a nerve