Articles in 2010

The enhanced neurogenesis that is triggered by the interaction of males with their offspring postpartum is important for father–offspring recognition.

The activation patterns of mitral cells may provide an early processing step in olfactory perception.

Microdeletions in chromosome 22q11.2 cause substantial impairments in several areas of attention and increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. Karayiorgou and colleagues discuss the complex genetic and neural substrates that are altered by these microdeletions, drawing on data obtained from human patients and animal models.

Understanding the molecular basis of a cell's differentiation capacity will greatly aid attempts to use stem cells for therapeutic purposes. In this Review, Hirabayashi and Gotoh discuss the mounting evidence implicating epigenetic mechanisms in the regulation of cell fate during neural development.

Nicotine addiction is notoriously difficult to overcome. In this article, Changeux reviews studies in transgenic mice that have started to reveal which nicotine receptor subunits mediate the effects of nicotine on behaviour, cognition and addiction and so might form therapeutic targets for nicotine addiction.

Chronic opioid exposure upregulates δ-opioid receptors, which can synergize with μ-opioid receptors in mediating analgesia.

CRF receptor 1 regulates anxiety-like behaviour by sensitizing 5-HT₂receptor signalling.

GABA_B receptors modulate multivesicular release and the Ca²⁺permeability of NMDA receptors at neuronal spines.

Keysers and colleagues review evidence that perceiving the sensations, actions and somatic pain of others induces activation in the somatosensory cortex. Perhaps similar to the mirror system for action understanding, this capacity might contribute to our understanding of other individuals' experiences.

Sir Charles Sherrington's work forms the basis of our current understanding of numerous aspects of nervous system physiology. Inspired by the recent rediscovery of a collection of Sherrington's histology slides, Molnár and Brown revisit his lifetime's achievements in neuroscience.

Modification of astrocytic Ca²⁺levels does not affect synaptic transmission in hippocampal slice preparations.

This issue contains a number of articles about neuron birth and development.

Jan and Jan discuss various mechanisms by which neurons acquire their type-specific dendrite morphology. These have largely emerged from studies inDrosophila melanogaster, but are broadly applicable to vertebrates. The possible contribution of defects in dendrite morphogenesis to mental disorders such as autism is also considered.