Articles in 2014

Previous work has suggested that the scaffolding protein ankyrin G is essential for the clustering of Na⁺ channels at the nodes of Ranvier. However, in this study, the authors show that, in the absence of ankyrin G, the complex of ankyrin R and βI spectrin can mediate Na⁺ channel clustering at the nodes.

In this paper, Atasoy and colleagues use a genetically-encoded synaptic marker for electron microscopy (GESEM) to probe long-range neuronal connectivity at the nanoscale level. The authors fused the horseradish peroxidase to the vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP2) to label synaptic vesicles. Focusing on the mouse feeding system, they show that this new tool is suitable for connectomics analyses of genetically defined populations of neurons.

In this study, the authors show that the scaffolding proteins ankyrin B and ankyrin G are expressed by Schwann cells and oligodendrocytes, respectively, and are enriched on the glial membrane at paranodal junctions where they interact with neurofascin 155. In addition, they find that ankyrins in oligodendrocytes have key roles in rapid and efficient paranode formation in the CNS.

Fruit flies seek water, but only when they are thirsty. And imbibing is rewarding only to water-deprived individuals. The effects of thirst on water seeking and on formation of associative memories of drinking water each are mediated by distinct sets of dopamine neurons that innervate restricted zones of the mushroom bodies in the fly brain.

Cortical neurons reduce spiking responses to repetitive sensory stimulation, but the perceptual impact of this adaptation has been difficult to assess. Work now shows that it has profound consequences for tactile perception.

A study finds evidence supporting co-release of glutamate and GABA, excitatory and inhibitory fast neurotransmitters, from a single axon terminal in neurons of the ventral tegmental area that project to the lateral habenula.

Jeremy Bentham distilled animal behavior as avoiding pain and seeking pleasure. Now, using a combination of different methodological approaches, Roy et al. identify a neural mechanism relevant for learning to avoid pain.

Nature Neuroscience presents a special focus issue highlighting big data efforts under way in the field.

Retrosplenial cortex neurons provide a signal akin to a compass readout. Evidence in humans now demonstrates that these neurons anchor their representations locally, locking to the geometry of a room rather than to the city beyond.

Neuroscience is poised to collect Big Data sets. In this Commentary, the authors argue that, to exploit its full potential, there need to be ways to standardize, integrate and synthesize diverse types of data and that this will require a cultural shift to a central role for theorists in neuroscience research.

In this Perspective, the authors discuss the recent surge in the collection of "big behavioral data" and how it might contribute to the understanding of how the brain controls behavior. They also highlight the challenges of making sense of increasing amounts of behavioral data.

This article reviews various next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and how they may be applied to the studies of the central nervous system. Specifically, the authors summarize practical information about when and how NGS may be applied to the studies of brain function, highlighting pros and cons of each technique for the unique challenges of studying a mixed population of targets.

In this review, the authors discuss the applications of epigenomics approaches to studies of the CNS and critique the tools available to analyze neuroepigenomics data. They also assess the challenges of integrating these data with that of other approaches, such as transcriptomics, proteomics and behavior.

Neuroimagers have collected large datasets and many of these are now available online. In this review the authors discuss the current state of sharing task-based fMRI data and the many challenges it poses.

In this Commentary, Martone and colleagues discuss the potential benefits of sharing small datasets, also called “long-tail” data, in the Neuroscience community. They introduce the pros and cons associated with data sharing, describe the existing attitudes toward such initiative, introduce best practices and offer their views on why and how the field should establish a credit system for sharing “long-tail” data.

A full understanding of the biology and function of the numerous cell types that comprise the nervous system requires analysis of their transcriptional and translational profiles. In this Review article, the authors discuss the methods for overcoming the challenges that accompany the collection of large proteomic datasets and their integration with other data modalities.

Due to recent technological developments in acquisition techniques, the field of electron microscopy-based connectomics now produces colossal amounts of data. Here, the authors discuss the practical and analytical challenges associated with such large amounts of data and propose some solutions to surmount them.

The authors selectively modify chromatin in a specific gene in vivo to examine the link between chromatin dynamics and drug- and stress-evoked responses. They report that histone methylation or acetylation at the FosB locus in nucleus accumbens is sufficient to control drug- and stress-evoked transcriptional and behavioral responses.

Fine-scale synchrony of neural activity determines the nature of neural coding, but its underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here the authors find that coincident electrical and chemical synaptic inputs are nonlinearly integrated in overlapping retinal ganglion cell dendrites to produce synchronous spiking.

It has been suggested that astrocytes play a role in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS. In this study, the authors show that α-adducin forms a complex with α2-Na+/K+ ATPase in mutant SOD1-bearing astrocytes and that this interaction is necessary for the non-cell autonomous toxicity that induces muscle denervation, motor neuron death and decreased mortality.