Neurobiology

In the past 20 years, an extra layer of information processing, in addition to that provided by neurons, has been proposed for the CNS. Neuronally evoked increases of the intracellular calcium concentration in astrocytes have been suggested to…

The 1.8 A crystal structure of transducin alpha.GDP, when compared to that of the activated complex with GTP-gamma S, reveals the nature of the conformational changes that occur on activation of a heterotrimeric G-protein alpha-subunit. Structural…

Understanding the cell-cell interactions that control CNS development and function has long been limited by the lack of methods to cleanly separate neural cell types. Here we describe methods for the prospective isolation and purification of…

Treatment-resistant depression is a severely disabling disorder with no proven treatment options once multiple medications, psychotherapy, and electroconvulsive therapy have failed. Based on our preliminary observation that the subgenual cingulate…

From today's point of view, patients with a mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at risk for developing a dementia. This clinical picture occurs frequently in the population and is easily recognized through simple tests and interviews conducted in…

Current neural induction protocols for human embryonic stem (hES) cells rely on embryoid body formation, stromal feeder co-culture or selective survival conditions. Each strategy has considerable drawbacks, such as poorly defined culture conditions,…

Although it has been tacitly assumed that the hippocampus exerts an influence on neocortical networks, the mechanisms of this process are not well understood. We examined whether and how hippocampal theta oscillations affect neocortical assembly…

Astrocytes are specialized glial cells that outnumber neurons by over fivefold. They contiguously tile the entire central nervous system (CNS) and exert many essential complex functions in the healthy CNS. Astrocytes respond to all forms of CNS…

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) modulates hippocampal plasticity and hippocampal-dependent memory in cell models and in animals. We examined the effects of a valine (val) to methionine (met) substitution in the 5' pro-region of the human…

An issue of great recent interest is whether motor memory consolidates in a manner analogous to declarative memory-that is, with the formation of a memory that progresses over time from a fragile state, which is susceptible to interference by a…

Brain injury following transient or permanent focal cerebral ischaemia (stroke) develops from a complex series of pathophysiological events that evolve in time and space. In this article, the relevance of excitotoxicity, peri-infarct…

Reactive astrogliosis, whereby astrocytes undergo varying molecular and morphological changes, is a ubiquitous but poorly understood hallmark of all central nervous system pathologies. Genetic tools are now enabling the molecular dissection of the…

Behavior-contingent network oscillations bring about transient, functionally coherent neuronal assemblies in the cerebral cortex, including the hippocampus. Inhibitory input on and close to the soma is believed to phase intrinsic oscillations and…

Two organizing centres operate at long-range distances within the anterior neural plate to pattern the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain. Important progress has been made in understanding the formation and function of one of these organizing…

Glutamate transporters in the CNS are expressed in neurons and glia and mediate high affinity, electrogenic uptake of extracellular glutamate. Although glia have the highest capacity for glutamate uptake, the amount of glutamate that reaches glial…

Hyperpolarization-activated cation currents termed I (f/h) are observed in many neurons and cardiac cells. Four genes (HCN1-4) encode the channels underlying these currents. New insights into the pathophysiological significance of HCN channels have…

Gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter, activates a persistent low amplitude tonic current in several brain regions in addition to conventional synaptic currents. Here we demonstrate that GABA(A) receptors…

Human subjects performed step-tracking movements of the wrist in the radial direction. Movement amplitude, external load, and accuracy instructions were varied. We used surface electrodes to record muscle activity from an agonist, extensor carpi…

R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. ISBN 3-900051-07-0, URL http://www.R-project.org/.

The importance of mesenchymal-epithelial interactions for normal development of the pancreas was recognized in the early 1960s, and mesenchymal signals have been shown to control the proliferation of early pancreatic progenitor cells. The mechanisms…