Volume 5 Issue 4, April 2002

In contrast to prevailing hypotheses, a genetic study shows that the toxic gain of function associated with mutant superoxide dismutase in familial amyotropic lateral sclerosis is unlikely to be due to changes in its oxidative activity causing an increase in free radicals.

Two new papers show that an atypical protein kinase C may mediate the maintenance of long-term potentiation in the mouse hippocampus and of associative memory in Drosophila.

Glutamate released from one synapse can act at neighboring synapses. A new report shows that such 'spillover' enables synapses to cooperate in activating mutual neighbors.

Auditory filters must trade off frequency tuning against temporal precision. The compromise achieved by the mammalian cochlea seems well matched to the sounds of the natural environment.