Volume 11 Issue 9, September 2010

tau regulates the interaction of postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) with NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors, which are thought to mediate Aβ toxicity.

Genomic imprinting is widespread in the mouse brain and shows sexual dimorphism.

translational regulation of E2F1 and DP by miRNAs is implicated in LRRK2-mediated pathogenesis in Parkinson's disease.

Astrocytes control breathing through pH-dependent release of ATP.

New neurons control, through Slit-Robo signalling, the organization of the glial tubes through which they migrate in the RMS.

Signalling by metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 counteracts neuroinflammation in a rodent model of multiple sclerosis.

SIRT1 modulates synaptic plasticity through microRNA-dependent regulation of the transcription factor cAMP-responsive element-binding (CREB) protein.

Mice that experience an enriched environment are more resistant to tumour growth.

Reliable propagation of spiking activity in the brain is vital for information processing. Kumar, Rotter and Aertsen now propose that under certain conditions asynchronous and synchronous propagation of spiking activity can co-exist in a modular neuronal network, and they suggest experimental strategies to test this hypothesis.

The brain encodes representations of smells through the synthesis of different olfactory inputs into a unified whole. Jay Gottfried discusses the central mechanisms of perception of these 'odour objects' and describes the role of the piriform cortex in this process.

In this Perspective, Vollenweider and Kometer discuss the clinical potential of psychedelic drugs for the treatment of various psychiatric disorders, and describe the molecular mechanisms by which classical hallucinogens and dissociative anaesthetics affect serotonin and glutamate systems. An interview with Franz X. Vollenweider for Neuropod is available for download.

Socioeconomic status (SES) influences brain development. Farah and colleagues discuss evidence that prenatal factors, parent–child interactions and cognitive stimulation mediate this effect, and consider implications for alleviating SES-related disparities in mental health and academic achievement.