Review Articles in 2006

Lipid rafts — specialized plasma membrane microdomains that are thought to regulate various signalling events — are the focus of intensive research into their roles in the nervous system. Here, Rasenick and colleagues review the evidence for their involvement in regulating neurotransmitter signalling.

Emerging evidence implicates members of a recently identified class of regulatory molecules, microRNAs, as having important roles in nervous system development and function. Kenneth Kosik reviews these findings and discusses the future challenges facing the field.

SLO channels comprise a family of high-conductance potassium channels with several distinctive features that give them the versatility to function in various cellular contexts. The authors describe the key properties and physiological roles of these channels in the nervous system.

Brain atlases have existed for centuries; however, these traditional atlases have many limitations, which promise to be overcome with new brain imaging techniques. Toga and colleagues highlight exciting advances in brain mapping technology and the ongoing progress towards integrative multimodal atlases.

Understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms that underlies neurological dysfunction in multiple sclerosis is essential for effective therapeutic intervention. Waxman reviews the evidence that aberrant Na⁺channel expression contributes to restoration of axonal conduction, axonal injury and cerebellar dysfunction in multiple sclerosis.

The cadherin superfamily has roles in the development and organization of complex neuronal circuits. Takeichi explores the evidence from invertebrate and vertebrate studies for the involvement in these processes of different cadherin subfamilies, including classic cadherins, Flamingo/CELSRs and the protocadherins.

Mirror neurons are specialized cells that fire both when an animal performs an action and when it observes others performing that action. A role for these cells in social cognition is emerging, and their dysfunction is now implicated in autism.

Development of sensory epithelia in the inner ear involves the progressive restriction of epithelial progenitors to give rise to specific types of hair or supporting cells. Kelley reviews current knowledge about the factors that regulate these cell fate decisions.

Phantom limb pain frequently occurs following limb amputation or deafferentiation. Emerging evidence suggests that in addition to peripheral changes, plasticity in the CNS has an important role in the pathophysiological mechanisms of phantom pain, highlighting potential targets for therapeutic interventions.

A common apolipoprotein E (APOE) isoform confers risk for Alzheimer's disease. New evidence that APOE, cholesterol, reelin and APOE receptors are vital for synaptic plasticity in the adult brain might help to unravel some key pathological mechanisms in neurodegenerative disorders.

Macular degeneration is a principal cause of visual loss in the Western world. Advances in imaging technologies, the identification of genes and the development of animal models are now paving the way for new therapeutic strategies for this disorder.

The role of sonic hedgehog as a morphogen involved in establishing ventral cell identity in the CNS is well known. Fishell and colleagues outline the current understanding of the molecular pathways involved in patterning and describe several recently identified and unrelated roles for hedgehog signalling.

Cancer induces pain, which often leads to the diagnosis of disease. Mantyh discusses how understanding the mechanisms involved in cancer pain and chemotherapy-induced sensory neuropathy, also associated with pain, might improve the survival and quality of life of cancer patients.

Voltage-gated ion channels are traditionally considered to solely mediate ion flux. New evidence is emerging that these channels also have important roles in various biological processes that are independent of ion conduction, including neuronal signalling, cell adhesion and gene transcription.

An important pathological feature of polyglutamine repeat diseases involves abnormal interactions between the mutant protein and histone-modifying enzymes, leading to transcriptional dysregulation. Inhibition of these enzymes is therefore a promising therapeutic strategy for Huntington's disease and other polyglutamine repeat disorders.

Failure of neural tube closure leads to neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, and has been linked to insufficiency of folate. The genetic and molecular mechanisms that link folate metabolism to neural tube defects are now being unravelled.

Mutations in proteins essential for certain cellular processes have been implicated in motor neuron degeneration in ALS. Pasinelli and Brown review how genetic analyses of these effects are unravelling the diverse molecular pathways involved in ALS pathogenesis.

Enhanced novelty and complexity in the environment can have impressive effects on experience-dependent plasticity under normal conditions. Moreover, such enriched environments can delay the onset and progression of a range of CNS disorders, with important implications for therapeutic strategies.

The ability to directly image alterations in brain function has been highly influential for cognitive neuroscience. Functional MRI is now emerging as a promising clinical tool for informing diagnosis and therapy for a range of disorders of the nervous system.

Interneurons are a diverse set of neurons that comprise various morphological, physiological and chemical characteristics. Recent work has shed light on the origins and specification of distinct subtypes of cortical interneurons, which could drive new discoveries on cortical function.