Reviews & Analysis

The beautiful, undulating orientation maps in visual cortex have motivated many developmental models. A new study finds that this functional organization could be seeded in the retina by moiré interference between mosaics of ON-center and OFF-center retinal ganglion cells.

A new study used several mouse mutants to study insulin receptor function specifically in the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH), and found a role for VMH insulin signaling in promoting high-fat diet–induced obesity.

A study now shows that association of kainate receptors with the auxiliary protein Neto1 confers the slow activation and deactivation kinetics of synaptic responses, as well as the high agonist affinity seen in vivo.

Guided by novel structural insights, a study now demonstrates that UNC119 is a lipid-binding protein essential for proper trafficking of G-protein a subunits in mammalian photoreceptors and Caenorhabditis elegans sensory neurons.

Recent work suggests that the correlations between neurons are important for encoding information, but there has been significant discrepancy among studies. The authors review this rapidly growing body of literature, examine the potential sources of the discrepancies and offer guidelines for how to interpret data about neuronal correlations.

An established framework that describes how visual neurons combine their inputs, divisive normalization, proves valuable in explaining multisensory processing in the superior colliculus and medial superior temporal area.

Insights into the molecular mechanism of synaptic plasticity suggest that AMPA receptor phosphorylation by CaMKII accelerates channel opening and that TARPs preserve this regulation despite the presence of a GluA2 subunit.

Different facial movements are better predictors of speech sounds than others. A new study investigates the neural processes that use this predictive signal and what happens to brain rhythms when it goes awry.

How does the brain initiate puberty? A new study suggests that neither the cells producing nor the cells receiving the neuromodulator kisspeptin are required for puberty and that the latter may even be dispensable for adult fertility.

The sustained metabolic activation of the brain's default-mode network is thought to render the system vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease. Recent results with transgenic mice support this view by linking neuronal activity to interstitial fluid amyloid-β levels and the development of amyloid-β plaques.

In this review, the authors discuss the ways in which brain sex difference may arise and provides a model in which genes, hormones and environment can influence the sexual dimorphism of the brain.

A study this issue by Truccolo et al. analyzing extended recordings of single-neuron activity in human neocortical epilepsy, demonstrates that, even in areas remote from the seizure focus, neuronal firing patterns alter minutes before seizure onset, are heterogeneous during seizures, and change homogeneously at seizure offset.

The molecular mechanisms of itch, particularly histamine-independent itch, are unclear. Wilson et al. report that TRPA1, an ion channel critical for pain sensation, also functions as an essential component of itch transduction.

A study now identifies a new progenitor subtype in the developing mouse cortex, similar to the outer radial glia progenitors described previously in human, ferret and other mammals with larger, folded brains.

Goals are represented in prefrontal cortex and modulate sensory processing in visual cortex. A new study combines TMS, fMRI and EEG to understand how feedback improves retention of behaviorally relevant visual information.

Synapse density and patterning must be tightly regulated to ensure proper circuit formation and function. A new report finds that postsynaptic L-type calcium channels control the pattern and differentiation of developing synapses.

Few brain circuits have generated more research than the mammalian hippocampus, a region of discrete subfields that connect serially to form a 'trisynaptic loop'. A new paper implies that the loop may be made up of parallel subpathways.

A new study challenges the idea that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex inhibits drug relapse, by selectively inactivating a subpopulation of neurons in this brain area and showing attenuation of context-induced reinstatement of heroin seeking.

Cytoplasmic inclusions containing TDP-43 are a hallmark of certain neurodegenerative diseases. Two new reports demonstrate that this protein binds a broad range of RNA transcripts, with a preference for UG-rich intronic regions.

How does chloride enter synaptic vesicle, and is it required for neurotransmitter uptake? A new study finds that the chloride transporter CLC-3 is needed for both acidification and transmitter loading of GABAergic synaptic vesicles.