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The ependymal cells lining the lateral ventricles are not stem cells, but a study now shows that they can be activated to generate neuroblasts in a stroke model, and mature olfactory bulb neurons when Notch signaling is disrupted.
Previous studies have attempted to decode functional imaging data to infer the perceptual state of an observer, but the level of detail has been limited. A new decoding study reconstructs accurate pictures of what an observer has seen.
Brain development requires precise control of progenitor proliferation and differentiation. PML appears to be a crucial regulator of cortical progenitors, limiting proliferation and promoting the generation of committed neuronal precursors.
Many sensory brain areas are characterized by a specific spatial organization, with neurons being ordered according to their similarity in receptive field properties. A surprising new study provides evidence that the organization of glomeruli in the olfactory bulb violates this anatomical principle, suggesting that olfaction might work by a different set of rules.
ProBDNF has been proposed to alter synaptic plasticity, but whether it is normally released from neurons has been a matter of contention. New work suggests that proBDNF is indeed secreted from central neurons.
The floor plate can generate neurons, but does so only in the midbrain. New work shows that Shh suppresses floor plate neurogenesis, and that in the midbrain, Wnt downregulates Shh expression via canonical signaling through β-catenin.
The in vitro reconstitution of vesicular glutamate transport reveals that the transporter itself antiports chloride ions and suggests that extracellular chloride concentrations may determine neurotransmitter refilling and quantal size.
Cortical and thalamic contribution to V1 neuron response properties is thought to be fixed. New work overturns this assumption, showing that the spread of corticocortical activation can be strongly modulated by stimulus strength.
Research indicates that sleep influences learning, but little is known about the mechanisms involved. A recent article suggests that sleep modifies the firing patterns of sensorimotor neurons before there is improvement in performance.
In retinitis pigmentosa, rod and cone photoreceptors die. Although rods die as a consequence of rod-specific genetic mutations, there is no clear explanation for the progressive loss of cones. A new study in this issue suggests that changes in the insulin/mTOR pathway and cell starvation can partially account for cone death in this disease.
When prion proteins go wrong, they can do serious damage, but little is known about their normal function, despite their ubiquitous expression in the brain. A new report in this issue suggests a critical role for prions in olfactory discrimination.
Neurofibromatosis type I is often associated with learning disabilities. Recent work shows that lack of neurofibromin impairs memory because overactive ERK signaling in hippocampal interneurons causes excessive GABA release.
