Featured
-
-
Article |
Involvement of PGC-1α in the formation and maintenance of neuronal dendritic spines
PGC-1α regulates mitochondrial biogenesis and adaptive thermogenesis. Cheng and colleagues alter the expression of PGC-1α in primary neuronal cultures and in the adult mouse brain, and find that it regulates dendritic spine formation and maintenance by mediating the synaptogenic actions of BDNF and CREB.
- Aiwu Cheng
- , Ruiqian Wan
- & Mark P. Mattson
-
Article |
Synaptic tagging and capture in the living rat
Synaptic tagging and capture describes thein vitro protein synthesis-dependent neuronal process where short-lasting forms of response potentiation are stabilised into long-lasting forms. Shires and colleagues find that this phenomenon also occurs in vivoin intact, living animals.
- K.L. Shires
- , B.M. Da Silva
- & S.J. Martin
-
Article
| Open AccessFibrinogen-induced perivascular microglial clustering is required for the development of axonal damage in neuroinflammation
Multiple sclerosis is characterized by the activation of microglia cells. Davalos et al. investigate the early stages of neuroinflammation in mice and reveal that the plasma protein fibrinogen induces microglial clustering around the brain vasculature, which facilitates lesion formation and focal axonal damage.
- Dimitrios Davalos
- , Jae Kyu Ryu
- & Katerina Akassoglou
-
Article |
Variability in the quality of visual working memory
Working memory is vital for individuals to carry out everyday activities. Fougnie and colleagues ask subjects to perform memory tasks and find that the precision of working memory varies independently across trials and items, which is inconsistent with the assumptions of standard models of memory.
- Daryl Fougnie
- , Jordan W. Suchow
- & George A. Alvarez
-
Article |
Structural modelling and mutant cycle analysis predict pharmacoresponsiveness of a Nav1.7 mutant channel
Mutations of the NaV1.7 voltage-gated sodium channel are implicated in abnormal pain signal transduction. Yang and colleagues perform structural modeling, mutant cycle analysis and electrophysiology on specific mutants and find that they can accurately predict their response profiles to channel blockers.
- Yang Yang
- , Sulayman D. Dib-Hajj
- & Stephen G. Waxman
-
Article |
Behavioural and neurobiological implications of linear and non-linear features in larynx phonations of horseshoe bats
Echolocating bats produce a wide variety of calls at different frequencies. In this study, the physiological basis of these frequencies are investigated, revealing that small changes in laryngeal air flow result in jumps between frequencies used for either echolocation or communication.
- Kohta I. Kobayasi
- , Steffen R. Hage
- & Walter Metzner
-
Article |
Opposing regulation of dopaminergic activity and exploratory motor behavior by forebrain and brainstem cholinergic circuits
Dopaminergic circuits are implicated in exploratory motor behaviour and are modulated by acetylcholine. Using transgenic mouse models, Patelet al. find that loss of forebrain acetylcholine results in exaggerated dopamine efflux and hyperactivity, whereas loss of brainstem acetylcholine leads to hypoactivity.
- Jyoti C. Patel
- , Elsa Rossignol
- & Robert P. Machold
-
Article |
The simple fly larval visual system can process complex images
The Bolwig’s organ of Drosophilalarvae consists of 12 photoreceptors and is assumed to have very limited image-resolving properties. Justice and colleagues report that these larvae can recognize the motion of other larvae and that this can be replicated using a computer screen displaying images of larvae.
- Elizabeth Daubert Justice
- , Nicholas James Macedonia
- & Barry Condron
-
Article
| Open AccessPrion protein facilitates uptake of zinc into neuronal cells
Prion proteins are implicated in a range of neurodegenerative diseases, which are, in part, due to a disruption of metal homeostasis. Wattet al.use selective antagonists to show that prion proteins mediate zinc uptake by interacting with GluA2-lacking, GluA1-containing AMPA receptors.
- Nicole T. Watt
- , David R. Taylor
- & Nigel M. Hooper
-
Article |
Direct isolation and RNA-seq reveal environment-dependent properties of engrafted neural stem/progenitor cells
Studies on neural stem and progenitor cells have shown they may be useful in treating spinal cord injuries, but the results are variable. Kumamaruet al.transplant these cells in injured spinal cords of mice, and find that their therapeutic properties are dynamically altered depending on their environment.
- Hiromi Kumamaru
- , Yasuyuki Ohkawa
- & Seiji Okada
-
Article
| Open AccessEndocannabinoid-Goα signalling inhibits axon regeneration in Caenorhabditis elegans by antagonizing Gqα-PKC-JNK signalling
Axon regeneration inC. elegansis positively regulated by the JNK/MAP kinase pathway. Pastuhov and colleagues identify the endocannabinoid anandamide as a negative regulator of this pathway and show that anandamide inhibits axon regeneration in mature neurons after axotomy.
- Strahil Iv. Pastuhov
- , Kota Fujiki
- & Naoki Hisamoto
-
Article
| Open AccessStructural and molecular insights into the mechanism of action of human angiogenin-ALS variants in neurons
Mutations in human angiogenin are implicated in the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Thiyagarajan and colleagues show that structural differences between angiogenin variants affect neuronal survival, and the ability to induce stress granules in neuronal cell lines.
- Nethaji Thiyagarajan
- , Ross Ferguson
- & K. Ravi Acharya
-
Article |
Extreme binocular vision and a straight bill facilitate tool use in New Caledonian crows
Humans, with their opposable thumbs, are not the only species with tool-related morphological adaptations. This study shows that tool use in New Caledonian crows is facilitated by a straight bill, enabling a firm grip on tools, and an extremely wide binocular field, affording excellent visual feedback.
- Jolyon Troscianko
- , Auguste M.P. von Bayern
- & Graham R. Martin
-
Article |
Monosynaptic inputs to new neurons in the dentate gyrus
Adult neurogenesis in the mammalian brain is implicated in the storage and processing of memories. Vivaret al.label afferents to new dentate gyrus granule cells and find that they receive direct input from the perirhinal and lateral entorhinal cortex and that these inputs enable spatial pattern separation.
- Carmen Vivar
- , Michelle C. Potter
- & Henriette van Praag
-
Article |
Sound-induced length changes in outer hair cell stereocilia
In the inner ear, sound waves produce movements in hair cell sterocilia, triggering the opening of ion channels. Hakizimana and colleagues show that the resultant currents change the length of sterocilia, and that these length changes alter the efficiency by which sound is converted into electrical signals.
- Pierre Hakizimana
- , William E. Brownell
- & Anders Fridberger
-
Article
| Open AccessUncoupling of the endocannabinoid signalling complex in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome
Fragile X syndrome is a major genetic cause of autism and is caused by loss of the fragile X mental retardation protein. In a mouse model of fragile X syndrome, Junget al. show that an absence of neuronal endocannabinoid signalling is responsible for the neurophysiological and behavioural defects.
- Kwang-Mook Jung
- , Marja Sepers
- & Olivier J. Manzoni
-
Article
| Open AccessThyroid hormone determines the start of the sensitive period of imprinting and primes later learning
Filial imprinting allows precocial birds to form social attachment to other animals or objects soon after hatching. Yamaguchi and colleagues investigate the mechanisms responsible for this, and find that thyroid hormones circulating in the plasma regulate the sensitive period during which imprinting occurs.
- Shinji Yamaguchi
- , Naoya Aoki
- & Koichi J. Homma
-
Article |
Attention gates visual coding in the human pulvinar
The pulvinar nucleus is involved in modulating visual information. Fischer and Whitney use brain imaging to study the pulvinar during visual attention, and find that the positions and orientations of attended objects are precisely encoded in the pulvinar, while information about ignored objects is gated out.
- Jason Fischer
- & David Whitney
-
Article
| Open AccessEvidence of an inhibitory restraint of seizure activity in humans
Seizure activity in the brain is characterized by the recruitment of cortical neuronal activity. Schevon and colleagues study seizure activity in human subjects and find that the recruitment of neurons is hypersynchronous and that there is an intrinsic restraint on the propagation of this activity.
- Catherine A. Schevon
- , Shennan A. Weiss
- & Andrew J. Trevelyan
-
Article |
The amniote paratympanic organ develops from a previously undiscovered sensory placode
The paratympanic organ in the avian middle ear is similar to the fish spiracular organ, but its developmental origin is unresolved. O'Neillet al. use fate mapping techniques to show that the avian paratympanic organ and its afferent neurons arise from a previously undiscovered neurogenic placode.
- Paul O'Neill
- , Siu-Shan Mak
- & Clare V.H. Baker
-
Article |
The use of the sex pheromone as an evolutionary solution to food source selection in caterpillars
Sex pheromones are used by adult members of a species to attract a mate. This study proposes that the larvae of the cotton leafwormSpodoptera littoralisare attracted to sex pheromones and prefer a food source containing it, suggesting an alternative use of the sex pheromone to trigger food search in caterpillars.
- Erwan Poivet
- , Kacem Rharrabe
- & Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly
-
Article |
Structured neuronal encoding and decoding of human speech features
Speech is encoded by the firing patterns of speech-controlling neurons in different regions of the brain, which Tankus and colleagues analyse in this study. They find highly specific encoding of vowels in medial–frontal neurons and nonspecific tuning in superior temporal gyrus neurons.
- Ariel Tankus
- , Itzhak Fried
- & Shy Shoham
-
Article |
Aβ alters the connectivity of olfactory neurons in the absence of amyloid plaques in vivo
The amyloid beta peptide can aggregate into insoluble plaques, which may indicate the onset of Alzheimer's disease. In a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, Cao and colleagues report a phenotype of altered connectivity in the olfactory neuronal circuit that precedes amyloid plaque deposition.
- Luxiang Cao
- , Benjamin R. Schrank
- & Mark W. Albers
-
Article
| Open AccessPINK1 autophosphorylation upon membrane potential dissipation is essential for Parkin recruitment to damaged mitochondria
The kinase PINK1 is mutated in Parkinson's disease and accumulates in defective mitochondria, where it recruits Parkin. Here, PINK1 is shown to be autophosphorylated and this is required for the localization of PINK1 to mitochondria with a reduced membrane potential, and for the recruitment of Parkin.
- Kei Okatsu
- , Toshihiko Oka
- & Noriyuki Matsuda
-
Article |
Dynamic histone marks in the hippocampus and cortex facilitate memory consolidation
Changes in gene expression in the hippocampus and the cortex are pivotal for memory consolidation. Gräff and colleagues use a recognition task in mice to show that epigenetic post-translational modifications are rapidly activated in the hippocampus after learning, but induced with a delay in the cortex.
- Johannes Gräff
- , Bisrat T. Woldemichael
- & Isabelle M. Mansuy
-
Article |
Gating of cyclic nucleotide-gated channels is voltage dependent
Cyclic nucleotide-gated channels are apparently voltage insensitive despite having the S4-type voltage sensor. Marchesiet al.show that the gating of wild-type CNGA1 and native CNG channels is voltage-independent in the presence of Li+, Na+ and K+, but that it is voltage-dependent in the presence of Rb+, Cs+ and organic cations.
- Arin Marchesi
- , Monica Mazzolini
- & Vincent Torre
-
Article
| Open AccessUnfolded protein response, activated by OASIS family transcription factors, promotes astrocyte differentiation
The protein OASIS belongs to the CREB/ATF transcription factor family and is involved in endoplasmic reticulum stress responses. Saito and colleagues show that these stress responses temporally activate OASIS in neural precursor cells, resulting in their differentiation into astrocytes.
- Atsushi Saito
- , Soshi Kanemoto
- & Kazunori Imaizumi
-
Article
| Open AccessHigh-performance and site-directed in utero electroporation by a triple-electrode probe
In uteroelectroporation allows the labelling of specific populations of neurons in the developing mouse brain. The authors of this paper present a simple modification of this method that increases labelling efficiency and allows, for the first time, transfection of Purkinje cells in the rat cerebellum.
- Marco dal Maschio
- , Diego Ghezzi
- & Laura Cancedda
-
Article |
Unravelling cerebellar pathways with high temporal precision targeting motor and extensive sensory and parietal networks
The cerebellum has important roles in motor control and sensory perception. Sultan and colleagues use electrical stimulation and functional magnetic resonance imaging to reveal that the cerebellum provides inputs to specialized cortical regions of the brain that modulate cerebro-cortical processing.
- Fahad Sultan
- , Mark Augath
- & Peter Thier
-
Article
| Open AccessMicroscopic magnetic stimulation of neural tissue
Electrical stimulation is used to treat a range of neurological diseases, but there are limitations that reduce its benefits. Bonmassar and colleagues show that magnetic stimulation delivered by small coils, close to the targeted neural tissue, can also be used to activate neurons and with fewer limitations.
- Giorgio Bonmassar
- , Seung Woo Lee
- & John T. Gale
-
Article
| Open AccessNeuronal influence on peripheral circadian oscillators in pupal Drosophila prothoracic glands
In the fruit flyDrosophila, changes in expression of circadian clock genes are believed to control eclosion. Morioka and colleagues show that transcriptional oscillations of the clock gene, period, in prothoracic gland cells are amplified by photic inputs from the central nervous system.
- Eri Morioka
- , Akira Matsumoto
- & Masayuki Ikeda
-
Article
| Open AccessSynGAP isoforms exert opposing effects on synaptic strength
Synaptic GTPase-activating protein, SynGAP, is a postsynaptic signalling protein that can regulate synaptic function. McMahonet al. express different SynGAP isoforms in neurons and find that the effect on synaptic strength depends on alternative promoter usage and alternative splicing of the C-terminus.
- A.C. McMahon
- , M.W. Barnett
- & P.C. Kind
-
Article
| Open AccessTargeted suppression of claudin-5 decreases cerebral oedema and improves cognitive outcome following traumatic brain injury
Claudin-5 is a component of tight junctions and has important roles in mediating the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Campbell and co-workers administer short interfering RNA against claudin-5 in a model of brain injury, finding that it enhances water movement from the brain to the blood and alleviates swelling.
- Matthew Campbell
- , Finnian Hanrahan
- & Peter Humphries
-
Article
| Open AccessActivin induces cortical interneuron identity and differentiation in embryonic stem cell-derived telencephalic neural precursors
Signalling inputs to neural progenitors regulate the differentiation of the stem cell pool. By analysing the mechanisms occuring during neurogenesis, Cambrayet al. report that activin is the pivotal factor regulating the differentiation of telencephalic neural precursors towards a cortical interneuron fate.
- Serafí Cambray
- , Charles Arber
- & Tristan A. Rodríguez
-
Article |
Environmental noise exposure degrades normal listening processes
The damaging effects of loud noise on auditory function are well established, but the effects of low-level noise are not so well understood. Zhou and Merzenich chronically expose adult rats to structured low-level noise and find that it causes auditory cortex damage and sound discrimination impairment.
- Xiaoming Zhou
- & Michael M. Merzenich
-
Article
| Open AccessThe Eutherian Armcx genes regulate mitochondrial trafficking in neurons and interact with Miro and Trak2
Mitochondrial dynamics and trafficking are important for providing energy for neuron function. In this study, the Armadillo repeat containing proteins clustered on the X chromosome are shown to be highly expressed in the nervous system and have a role in mitochondrial dynamics.
- Guillermo López-Doménech
- , Román Serrat
- & Eduardo Soriano
-
Article |
Auto-regulatory RNA editing fine-tunes mRNA re-coding and complex behaviour in Drosophila
Adars are adenosine deaminases that act on RNAs, including those encoding proteins involved in neuronal transmission and also Adar RNA. Here, Savvaet al. engineered knock-in Drosophila mutants with altered Adar autoediting and found that this changed the spectrum of adenosine deamination and Drosophilabehaviour.
- Yiannis A. Savva
- , James E.C Jepson
- & Robert A. Reenan
-
Article |
Auditory cortex of newborn bats is prewired for echolocation
Bats use a process known as echolocation to measure the distance of an object by echo delay. Here, studies in newborn bats reveal that echo delay tuning of neurons in the auditory cortex is present at birth rather than acquired as a result of echolocation experience.
- Manfred Kössl
- , Cornelia Voss
- & Marianne Vater
-
Article |
Soluble amyloid precursor protein-α modulates β-secretase activity and amyloid-β generation
The loss of neurotrophic factors is responsible for key neurodegenerative processes in Alzheimer's disease. In this study, Obregon and colleagues treat amyloidogenic cells with the neurotrophin soluble amyloid precursor protein-α and find that it halts amyloidogenesis by interacting with the β-secretase BACE1.
- Demian Obregon
- , Huayan Hou
- & Jun Tan
-
Article
| Open AccessStaged decline of neuronal function in vivo in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease
The amyloid-β-peptide is pivotal to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease, but its mechanism of action remains uncertain. This study utilizesin vivotwo-photon calcium imaging to investigate the effects of this peptide on single cortical neurons of the visual cortex in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.
- Christine Grienberger
- , Nathalie L. Rochefort
- & Arthur Konnerth
-
Article |
Dissecting a central flip-flop circuit that integrates contradictory sensory cues in C. elegans feeding regulation
Animals sense multiple environmental cues simultaneously and use this sensory information to regulate feeding behaviour, which is fundamental to survival. Li and co-workers describe a central circuit inCaenorhabditis elegansthat can be activated by attractive odours or repellents to facilitate or suppress feeding behaviour.
- Zhaoyu Li
- , Yidong Li
- & Tao Xu
-
Article
| Open AccessNeural circuits in the brain that are activated when mitigating criminal sentences
Jurors can be influenced by mitigating circumstances when deciding on sentences for committed crimes. Yamadaet al. show that feelings of sympathy created by mitigating circumstances activate moral conflict regions of the brain that predict individual differences in the severity of the sentence.
- Makiko Yamada
- , Colin F. Camerer
- & Hidehiko Takahashi
-
Article |
Transient activation of specific neurons in mice by selective expression of the capsaicin receptor
The ability to spatially and temporally control excitation of neuronsin vivo is an invaluable tool. By expressing the TRPV1 receptor in specific neuronal populations, Güler et al. have developed a rapid and noninvasive method to stimulate neuronal activity by the simple administration of capsaicin.
- Ali D. Güler
- , Aundrea Rainwater
- & Richard D. Palmiter
-
Article
| Open AccessIntracellular chloride concentration influences the GABAA receptor subunit composition
During development there is a change in the expression of GABAA receptor subunits. Here, Succol and colleagues show that chloride ions mediate the change in α3-α1 and δ-containing GABAAreceptors that mediate phasic and tonic inhibition, respectively.
- Francesca Succol
- , Hubert Fiumelli
- & Andrea Barberis
-
Article |
Odour concentration-dependent olfactory preference change in C. elegans
Some animals find the same odorant attractive at low concentrations and repulsive at high concentrations, but how this discrimination occurs is unclear. UsingCaenorhabditis elegans as a model system, Yoshida et al. show that different sets of sensory neurons respond to low and high concentrations of odours.
- Kazushi Yoshida
- , Takaaki Hirotsu
- & Takeshi Ishihara
-
Article
| Open AccessSUMO modification of the neuroprotective protein TDP1 facilitates chromosomal single-strand break repair
Tyrosyl DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1) repairs DNA breaks and is mutated in the disease Spinocerebellar Ataxia with Axonal Neuropathy. Here TDP1 is shown to be post-translationally modified by sumoylation of lysine 111, and cells carrying a mutation at this residue are inefficient at single-strand DNA break repair.
- Jessica J.R. Hudson
- , Shih-Chieh Chiang
- & Sherif F. El-Khamisy
-
Article
| Open AccessLIS1-dependent retrograde translocation of excitatory synapses in developing interneuron dendrites
Maturation of synaptic junctions is important for proper neuronal connections. Using live cell imaging, Okabeet al. show that interneuron dendrites extend filopodia-like projections and use microtubule-dependent retrograde transport to guide proper synaptic distribution on dendrites.
- Izumi Kawabata
- , Yutaro Kashiwagi
- & Shigeo Okabe
-
Article
| Open AccessStructure of the pentameric ligand-gated ion channel ELIC cocrystallized with its competitive antagonist acetylcholine
The pentameric ligand gated ion channel fromErwinia chrysanthemi(ELIC) is similar in structure to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, a member of the Cys-loop receptor family. This study reports the crystal structure of ELIC bound to acetylcholine and shows that acetylcholine is a competitive antagonist of ELIC.
- Jianjun Pan
- , Qiang Chen
- & Pei Tang
-
Article
| Open Accessγ-Glutamylcysteine detoxifies reactive oxygen species by acting as glutathione peroxidase-1 cofactor
Glutathione's key role as a modulator of reactive oxygen species levels has recently been challenged. Quintana-Cabreraet al. now provide in vivoevidence supporting an antioxidant and neuroprotective function for γ-glutamylcysteine, which replaces glutathione by acting as glutathione peroxidase-1 cofactor.
- Ruben Quintana-Cabrera
- , Seila Fernandez-Fernandez
- & Juan P. Bolaños
Browse broader subjects
Browse narrower subjects
- Auditory system
- Blood–brain barrier
- Cell death in the nervous system
- Cellular neuroscience
- Circadian rhythms and sleep
- Cognitive ageing
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Computational neuroscience
- Development of the nervous system
- Diseases of the nervous system
- Emotion
- Epigenetics in the nervous system
- Feeding behaviour
- Genetics of the nervous system
- Glial biology
- Gliogenesis
- Gustatory system
- Ion channels in the nervous system
- Learning and memory
- Molecular neuroscience
- Motivation
- Motor control
- Myelin biology and repair
- Neural ageing
- Neural circuits
- Neuro–vascular interactions
- Neurogenesis
- Neuroimmunology
- Neuronal physiology
- Neurotrophic factors
- Oculomotor system
- Olfactory system
- Peripheral nervous system
- Regeneration and repair in the nervous system
- Reward
- Sensorimotor processing
- Sensory processing
- Sexual behaviour
- Social behaviour
- Social neuroscience
- Somatosensory system
- Spine regulation and structure
- Stem cells in the nervous system
- Stress and resilience
- Synaptic plasticity
- Synaptic transmission
- Transporters in the nervous system
- Visual system