Serotonergic Projections Govern Postnatal Neuroblast Migration.

In many vertebrates, postnatally generated neurons often migrate long distances to reach their final destination, where they help shape local circuit activity. Concerted action of extrinsic stimuli is required to regulate long-distance migration. Some migratory principles are evolutionarily conserved, whereas others are species and cell type specific.

Electrotonic Coupling in the Pituitary Supports the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis in a Sex Specific Manner.

Gap junctions are present in many cell types throughout the animal kingdom and allow fast intercellular electrical and chemical communication between neighboring cells. Connexin-36 (Cx36), the major neuronal gap junction protein, synchronizes cellular activity in the brain, but also in other organs. Here we identify a sex-specific role for Cx36 within the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis at the level of the anterior pituitary gland (AP).

Age-Dependent Degeneration of Mature Dentate Gyrus Granule Cells Following NMDA Receptor Ablation.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in all hippocampal areas play an essential role in distinct processes of memory formation as well as in sustaining cell survival of postnatally generated neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG). In contrast to the beneficial effects, over-activation of NMDARs has been implicated in many acute and chronic neurological diseases, reason why therapeutic approaches and clinical trials involving receptor blockade have been envisaged for decades. Here we employed genetically engineered mice to study the long-term effect of NMDAR ablation on selective hippocampal neuronal populations.

Dendrite development regulated by the schizophrenia-associated gene FEZ1 involves the ubiquitin proteasome system.

Downregulation of the schizophrenia-associated gene DISC1 and its interacting protein FEZ1 positively regulates dendrite growth in young neurons. However, little is known about the mechanism that controls these molecules during neuronal development. Here, we identify several components of the ubiquitin proteasome system and the cell-cycle machinery that act upstream of FEZ1.

EphA4 preserves postnatal and adult neural stem cells in an undifferentiated state in vivo.

In the postnatal brain, new neurons continue to be generated in two neurogenic areas, the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles (SVZ) and the subgranular zone of the hippocampus. There is evidence that ephrins and their Eph receptors belong to a signaling network that regulates neurogenesis. On the basis of previous data, we have identified Eph receptor A4 (EphA4) as a potential regulator of neurogenesis.

Mutations of optineurin in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has its onset in middle age and is a progressive disorder characterized by degeneration of motor neurons of the primary motor cortex, brainstem and spinal cord. Most cases of ALS are sporadic, but about 10% are familial. Genes known to cause classic familial ALS (FALS) are superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), ANG encoding angiogenin, TARDP encoding transactive response (TAR) DNA-binding protein TDP-43 (ref.

Abnormal behavior in a chromosome-engineered mouse model for human 15q11-13 duplication seen in autism.

Substantial evidence suggests that chromosomal abnormalities contribute to the risk of autism. The duplication of human chromosome 15q11-13 is known to be the most frequent cytogenetic abnormality in autism. We have modeled this genetic change in mice by using chromosome engineering to generate a 6.

Fezf1 is required for penetration of the basal lamina by olfactory axons to promote olfactory development.

In the development of the olfactory system, olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) project their axons from the olfactory epithelium (OE) to the olfactory bulb (OB). The surface of the OB is covered by the central nervous system (CNS) basal lamina. To establish this connection, pioneer axons of the ORNs penetrate the CNS basal lamina at embryonic day 12.

Myosin-Va facilitates the accumulation of mRNA/protein complex in dendritic spines.

mRNA localization has an essential role in localizing cytoplasmic determinants, controlling the direction of protein secretion, and allowing the local control of protein synthesis in neurons. In neuronal dendrites, the localization and translocation of mRNA is considered as one of the molecular bases of synaptic plasticity. Recent imaging and functional studies revealed that several RNA-binding proteins form a large messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) complex that is involved in transport and translation of mRNA in dendrites.