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New evidence indicates that mutations in the postsynaptic density protein SHANK3 causes defects in corticostriatal signalling and autism-like behaviours in mice.
Murine β-adducin, and its fly homologue HTS, have key roles in synapse assembly and disassembly, and mediate the improvement of learning and memory induced by environmental enrichment.
Although ubiquitylation is well known for its role in targeting proteins for degradation, more recently — as discussed by Kawabe and Brose — it has emerged that this process is vitally important in the regulation of the cell signalling processes that control numerous aspects of neuronal development.
Notch signalling is well known for its role in development, but here, Rakic and colleagues describe emerging aspects of Notch signalling in many processes in the adult brain. They propose that context-dependent crosstalk between Notch and various other signalling pathways underlies this pleiotropy.
Lipid dysregulation seems to be crucially involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Not only do a wide variety of lipids participate in the regulation of amyloidogenesis but amyloid-β itself regulates lipid metabolism, thus offering novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
The global financial downturn has started to affect many, if not all, fields of science. In this Perspective, leading neuroscientists from different countries provide their views on the effects of the economic crisis on neuroscience funding, career prospects, international collaborations and scientists' morale.
