Nature Neuroscience - Current issue : July 2009 - Vol 12 No 7
- Adult birdsong requires error correction
- Notch control of Schwann cells
- Odor coding in piriform cortex
Current issue
Coding odor objects in human brain
Article by Howard and colleaguesOdorants which elicited more similar fMRI activity patterns in the posterior piriform cortex were more likely to be judged as more perceptually alike, reports this study. This suggests that the posterior piriform cortex contains a spatially distributed ensemble code for odor object quality.
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News and Views by MargotCurrent issue
Linking genetics and epigenetics in oligodendrocytes
Article by Ye and colleaguesPrevious work suggested oligodendrocyte differentiation is promoted by histone deacetylase HDAC1 and antagonized by canonical Wnt signaling. Here, the authors show that HDAC1 and 2 directly interfere with canonical Wnt signaling in oligodendrocyte precursors, by competing with β-catenin for interaction with the transcriptional co-factor TCF7L2.
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News and Views by Li and RichardsonCurrent issue
NOXious source of superoxide
Article by Brennan and colleaguesNMDA-induced superoxide production, which can lead to cell death at excessive levels, was widely believed to originate from mitochondria. Here the authors find that in both cultured neurons and mouse hippocampus, NADPH oxidase (NOX) is actually the primary source of NMDA-induced superoxide production.
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News and Views by Demaurex and ScorranoCurrent issue
Motivation and cognitive control
Article by Kouneiher and colleaguesThe authors investigate how the prefrontal cortex combines motivation and selection processes underlying cognitive control. They find these functions are physically separable, represented in different prefrontal cortical areas, and that these areas may subserve the integration of motivation and cognitive control for decision making.
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News and Views by EgnerCurrent issue
Reconsolidation of strong memories
Article by Wang and colleaguesMemories reconsolidation does not occur under certain conditions, like strong training. The authors show that this effect is transient, and associated with a down-regulation of hippocampal NR2B subunits, and that strong auditory fear memories in rats that initially did not undergo reconsolidation eventually did.
Current issue
Notch in the periphery
Article by Woodho and colleaguesAlthough Notch signaling in CNS glial development is well established, its participation in peripheral glial development is unclear. The authors show that Notch signaling regulates the differentiation of Schwann cell precursors, the proliferation of Schwann cells, and acts as a break on peripheral nerve myelination.
