Sox11 Expression Promotes Regeneration of Some Retinal Ganglion Cell Types but Kills Others.

At least 30 types of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) send distinct messages through the optic nerve to the brain. Available strategies of promoting axon regeneration act on only some of these types. Here we tested the hypothesis that overexpressing developmentally important transcription factors in adult RGCs could reprogram them to a "youthful" growth-competent state and promote regeneration of other types.

The Mammalian-Specific Protein Armcx1 Regulates Mitochondrial Transport during Axon Regeneration.

Mitochondrial transport is crucial for neuronal and axonal physiology. However, whether and how it impacts neuronal injury responses, such as neuronal survival and axon regeneration, remain largely unknown. In an established mouse model with robust axon regeneration, we show that Armcx1, a mammalian-specific gene encoding a mitochondria-localized protein, is upregulated after axotomy in this high regeneration condition.

Independent control of aging and axon regeneration.

Axon regeneration capacity often declines with age. One might assume that loss of regeneration is an obvious consequence of organismal aging. However, in the latest issue of Neuron, Byrne et al.

Two- and three-input TALE-based AND logic computation in embryonic stem cells.

Biological computing circuits can enhance our ability to control cellular functions and have potential applications in tissue engineering and medical treatments. Transcriptional activator-like effectors (TALEs) represent attractive components of synthetic gene regulatory circuits, as they can be designed de novo to target a given DNA sequence. We here demonstrate that TALEs can perform Boolean logic computation in mammalian cells.