Articles in 2010

Germ cells can be directly converted into specific types of neuronin vivo, bypassing the pluripotent stage.

Amyloid-β and tau exert toxicity in Alzheimer's disease through mechanisms that are gradually becoming understood. This Progress article reviews recent findings regarding their possible interactions and synergistic effects at the synapse, and discusses how these effects may contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

VGLUT2 is a key component of the circuits that mediate the regulation of itching and the suppression of itch by pain.

Activation of central TRPV1 receptors by anandamide mediates long-term depression in the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens.

Primary somatosensory cortex can drive motor responses independently of the motor cortex.

Primary somatosensory cortex can drive motor responses independently of the motor cortex.

The lateral and medial subdivisions of the central amygdala mediate the acquisition and expression of conditioned fear.

What does resting-state network (RSN) activity actually reflect? Deco and colleagues review computational models showing that local dynamics, signal transmission delays and noise contribute to emerging RSNs. They propose that multiple functional connectivity patterns can be expressed around the same anatomical framework, and that the resting brain explores these possible configurations.

Since its proposal in 1997, the synaptic tagging and capture hypothesis has been highly influential in furthering our understanding of memory persistence. Data that have emerged in the intervening years have necessitated a revision and expansion of the original concept, which is discussed in this Review by Redondo and Morris.

CaMKK signalling acts as a cell-autonomous homeostatic regulator of synaptic strength in response to excitation.

Normal pacemaking activity in dopamine neurons in the SNc results in high basal mitochondrial oxidative stress levels in these neurons, rendering them vulnerable to degeneration.

Manipulation of GABA signalling can promote recovery after stroke in mice.

Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are genetic disorders that cause a length-dependent, distal axonopathy of the corticospinal tract. Reid and colleages review the molecular cell biology underlying HSPs and consider the importance of membrane trafficking and organelle morphogenesis in axonal development and maintenance.

The mTORC1 signalling cascade plays a key part in alcohol abuse disorders.

Emotional events result in strong memories, and these are essential for responding appropriately when similar events occur. However, emotional memories are sometimes so strong as to be disabling, as in post-traumatic stress disorder. In this article, Yehuda and Morris discuss these issues from the viewpoints of a clinical and a basic neuroscientist.

In this Progress article, Sacktor highlights the key role of protein kinase Mζ (PKMζ) — the constitutively active protein kinase C isoform — in perpetuating the synaptic events underlying long-term memory, and proposes a model of 'synaptic autotagging' by which this enzyme maintains its localization at the synapse.

Humans can use conscious thought to regulate the activity of MTL neurons encoding different concepts, thereby overriding neuronal activation induced by sensory input.