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A large collaborative study provides a comprehensive analysis of the core molecular networks that are modulated during peripheral axon regrowth after injury.
Dopaminergic neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus have a role in mediating the rebound sociability observed in mice following acute isolation from littermates, and this could represent a behavioural state that is similar to loneliness in humans.
Structural variations in the gene encoding complement component 4 — a protein linked to synaptic refinement — are associated with an increased schizophrenia risk.
A series of genetic studies has implicated the microglial immune receptor TREM2 in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD). Here, Colonna and Wang describe recent studies that have begun to unpick the mechanisms by which TREM2 is involved in AD and discuss unanswered questions in the field.
Membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs) are synaptic scaffold proteins involved in organizing protein complexes that are required for synaptic development and plasticity. Placing their focus on recent biochemical and structural data, Zhang and colleagues review the role of MAGUKs in synaptic protein complex formation and regulation.
In vertebrates, assemblies of neurons in the spinal cord generate the precise timing and patterning of locomotor movements. In this Review, Ole Kiehn examines the organization and operation of these spinal locomotor networks in limbed and non-limbed animals.
Local field potential recordings of the hippocampus reveal three types of neural activity rhythms: theta, sharp wave–ripples and gamma. In this Review, Colgin discusses recent findings from rodent studies that provide insight into the origin of these rhythms and their roles in memory and other behaviours.
There has been a surge in the number of papers discussing the idea that inter-neuronal spread of 'pathogenic' proteins contributes to neurodegenerative disease progression. Walsh and Selkoe provide a critical overview of the evidence for this mechanism, identify gaps in our knowledge and suggest experimental approaches to test the hypothesis.
