NMNAT2 supports vesicular glycolysis via NAD homeostasis to fuel fast axonal transport.

Background: Bioenergetic maladaptations and axonopathy are often found in the early stages of neurodegeneration. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), an essential cofactor for energy metabolism, is mainly synthesized by Nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyl transferase 2 (NMNAT2) in CNS neurons. NMNAT2 mRNA levels are reduced in the brains of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's disease.

Temporal Differences in Interneuron Invasion of Neocortex and Piriform Cortex during Mouse Cortical Development.

Establishing a balance between excitation and inhibition is critical for brain functions. However, how inhibitory interneurons (INs) generated in the ventral telencephalon integrate with the excitatory neurons generated in the dorsal telencephalon remains elusive. Previous studies showed that INs migrating tangentially to enter the neocortex (NCx), remain in the migratory stream for days before invading the cortical plate during late corticogenesis.

Analysis of spatial-temporal gene expression patterns reveals dynamics and regionalization in developing mouse brain.

Allen Brain Atlas (ABA) provides a valuable resource of spatial/temporal gene expressions in mammalian brains. Despite rich information extracted from this database, current analyses suffer from several limitations. First, most studies are either gene-centric or region-centric, thus are inadequate to capture the superposition of multiple spatial-temporal patterns.