Receptor for advanced glycation end product-dependent activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase contributes to amyloid-beta-mediated cortical synaptic dysfunction.

Soluble amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptide is likely to play a key role during early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by perturbing synaptic function and cognitive processes. Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) has been identified as a receptor involved in Abeta-induced neuronal dysfunction. We investigated the role of neuronal RAGE in Abeta-induced synaptic dysfunction in the entorhinal cortex, an area of the brain important in memory processes that is affected early in AD.

Properties of the force exerted by filopodia and lamellipodia and the involvement of cytoskeletal components.

During neuronal differentiation, lamellipodia and filopodia explore the environment in search for the correct path to the axon's final destination. Although the motion of lamellipodia and filopodia has been characterized to an extent, little is known about the force they exert. In this study, we used optical tweezers to measure the force exerted by filopodia and lamellipodia with a millisecond temporal resolution.

Post-phosphorylation prolyl isomerisation of gephyrin represents a mechanism to modulate glycine receptors function.

The microtubule binding protein gephyrin plays a prominent role in establishing and maintaining a high concentration of inhibitory glycine receptors juxtaposed to presynaptic releasing sites. Here, we show that endogenous gephyrin undergoes proline-directed phosphorylation, which is followed by the recruitment of the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase Pin1. The interaction between gephyrin and Pin1 is strictly dependent on gephyrin phosphorylation and requires serine-proline consensus sites encompassing the gephyrin proline-rich domain.

Carbon nanotube substrates boost neuronal electrical signaling.

We demonstrate the possibility of using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as potential devices able to improve neural signal transfer while supporting dendrite elongation and cell adhesion. The results strongly suggest that the growth of neuronal circuits on a CNT grid is accompanied by a significant increase in network activity. The increase in the efficacy of neural signal transmission may be related to the specific properties of CNT materials, such as the high electrical conductivity.