The control of synapse formation and shape is important for establishing complex brain circuitry. New evidence now suggests that a component of a synaptic ion channel complex has an unexpected role in these processes.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2009.10.064 | DOI Listing |
While CNS microglia have well-established roles in synapse pruning during neurodevelopment, only a few studies have identified roles for microglia in synapse formation. These studies focused on the cortex and primary sensory circuits during restricted developmental time periods, leaving substantial gaps in our understanding of the early developmental functions of microglia. Here we investigated how the absence of microglia impacts synaptic development in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a region critical for emotional regulation and motivated behaviors and where dysfunction is implicated in psychiatric disorders that arise early in life.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Melanopsin is a photopigment with roles in mediating sleep and circadian-related processes, which are often disrupted in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Melanopsin also impacts cognition and synaptogenesis. This study investigated the associations between melanopsin genetic variants, sleep, and markers of brain health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Bridge-like lipid transfer proteins (BLTPs) mediate bulk lipid transport at membrane contact sites. Mutations in BLTPs are linked to both early-onset neurodevelopmental and later-onset neurodegenerative diseases, including movement disorders. The tissue specificity and temporal requirements of BLTPs in disease pathogenesis remain poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFbioRxiv
December 2024
Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Diverse subtypes of cortical projection neurons (PN) form long-range axonal projections that are responsible for distinct sensory, motor, cognitive, and behavioral functions. Translational control has been identified at multiple stages of PN development, but how translational regulation contributes to formation of distinct, subtype-specific long-range circuits is poorly understood. Ribosomal complexes (RCs) exhibit variations of their component proteins, with an increasing set of examples that confer specialized translational control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurosci Biobehav Rev
January 2025
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Gurugram University (A State Govt. University), Gurugram, Haryana, India. Electronic address:
Plexins are a family of transmembrane receptors known for their diverse roles in neural development, axon guidance, neuronal migration, synaptogenesis, and circuit formation. Semaphorins are a class of secreted and membrane proteins that act as primary ligands for plexin receptors. Semaphorins play a crucial role in central nervous system (CNS) development by regulating processes such as axonal growth, neuronal positioning, and synaptic connectivity.
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