Transcript specificity in BDNF-regulated protein synthesis.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a critical activity-dependent modulator of gene expression, which can regulate both transcription and translation. Several functions of BDNF, including the induction of dendrite outgrowth and long-term synaptic plasticity, are known to depend, in particular, upon the ability of BDNF to regulate protein synthesis. Although BDNF modestly increases total neuronal protein synthesis, substantial evidence indicates that BDNF induces the translation of only a small subset of expressed mRNAs and demonstrates an extraordinary degree of transcript specificity.

Aging enhances classical activation but mitigates alternative activation in the central nervous system.

The roles of microglia and macrophages during neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases remain controversial. To date, at least 2 activations states have been suggested, consisting of a classical response (M1) and the alternative response (M2). Identifying selective biomarkers of microglia that representative their functional activation states may help elucidate disease course and enable a better understanding of repair mechanisms.

Dual regulation of miRNA biogenesis generates target specificity in neurotrophin-induced protein synthesis.

Control of translation is a fundamental source of regulation in gene expression. The induction of protein synthesis by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) critically contributes to enduring modifications of synaptic function, but how BDNF selectively affects only a minority of expressed mRNAs is poorly understood. We report that BDNF rapidly elevates Dicer, increasing mature miRNA levels and inducing RNA processing bodies in neurons.