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Lau and Zukin focus on the contribution of NMDARs to synaptic plasticity, reviewing the molecular mechanisms that underlie the regulation of subunit composition and receptor numbers in the postsynaptic density. They also discuss how these regulatory mechanisms are thought to contribute to addiction and neurological diseases.
An increasing number of genes have been identified that control the specification and development of projection neuron subtypes in the neocortex. Macklis and colleagues review recent progress in understanding their function and discuss the implications for progenitor plasticity.
The development of the mammalian cortex, with its unique layered and areal complexity, is at the centre of this article. Dehay and Kennedy review our knowledge of the interrelationship between cell-cycle regulation — specifically the G1 phase — and the proliferation and differentiation of cortical precursors.
Bean discusses how the diversity of ion channels expressed by mammalian central neurons underlies the generation of a variety of action potential shapes, frequencies and firing patterns that allows the nervous system to encode complex information.
Enteric nervous system (ENS) development attracts the interest of developmental biologists and human geneticists alike. Heanue and Pachnis review ENS development, the molecular basis of Hirschprung's disease and the potential for stem cell therapies to treat this condition.
It is widely accepted that adult neurogenesis occurs in the hippocampus and olfactory bulb in the mammalian brain, but whether it is restricted to these areas remains controversial. Gould discusses evidence for and against neocortical neurogenesis in the adult, emphasizing some key methodological issues.
