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Microglia and macrophages have crucial roles in nervous system development, maintenance and disease. In this Review, Prinz and Priller describe recently discovered details of the embryonic origins and functions of microglia that distinguish them from the other macrophage populations that reside in the brain.
An event that is experienced from an 'out-of-body' perspective is remembered less well and its recall does not induce the usual pattern of hippocampal activation.
The size and the extent of gyrification of the cerebral cortex both influence brain function in mammals. In this Review, Sun and Hevner examine the mechanisms underlying cortical growth and folding, and discuss how dysfunction in these processes leads to cortical malformations.
Microglia are known to remove dead and dying neurons in the brain by phagocytosis. In this Progress article, Brown and Neher discuss recent evidence indicating that, in certain situations, microglia can instigate the death of viable neurons through phagocytosis, a process they term phagoptosis.
Olfactory receptors signal through G protein βγ subunits to silence the expression of other olfactory receptors within a single olfactory sensory neuron.
The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a homeostatic mechanism by which cells regulate levels of misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Here, Hetz and Mollereau provide an overview of the most recent findings addressing the relevance of ER stress in the nervous system.
Synaptic transmission occurs through two main modalities — namely, chemical and electrical transmission. In this Review, Pereda discusses the complex nature of electrical transmission and explores the mounting evidence that chemical and electrical synapses functionally interact both during development and in adulthood.
The period length of the circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus can be modulated by changes in DNA methylation induced by shortening the light–dark cycle.
