Neuronal morphology

Neuroplasticity is essential for the establishment and strengthening of neural circuits. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is commonly used to modulate cortical excitability and shows promise in the treatment of some neurological disorders. Low intensity magnetic stimulation (LI-rTMS), which does not directly elicit action potentials in the stimulated neurons, have also shown some therapeutic effects, and it is important to determine the biological mechanisms underlying the effects of these low intensity magnetic fields, such as would occur in the regions surrounding the cent

Neuronal morphology plays a fundamental role in determining the neuronal network's function. However, understanding the effect of single neuron morphology on whole-brain function is still an open challenge. Limited by resolution and time cost, current studies on the functional properties of whole-brain connectivity are mainly described with simulations from the mesoscale perspective, like those generated in The Virtual Mouse Brain (TVMB) platform. Whole mouse brain activity is simulated using connectivity weights between brain regions obtained from tracer injections in populations of neurons a

…This research compares the neuronal morphology of SLE mouse models (NZB/W F1) and wild-type (WT) mice in the hippocampus, a brain area exhibiting significant effects from NSLE. Nissl-stained sections were processed via a deep learning method to outline individual cells, with and without Calcium Binding Proteins (CBPs). Morphological and density features were extracted at the cellular level, and cells were classified into distinct s

Semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A) is a repellent guidance cue considered instrumental in many processes that shape the nervous system during development. It is produced as a secreted protein in mammals and exerts both autocrine and paracrine functions. Interestingly, emerging evidence highlights the association of genetic and functional alterations in SEMA3A or its receptors (NRP1 and PLXNA2) with neurodevelopmental disorders. Indeed, increased SEMA3A expression levels have been detected in the brains of patients with schizophrenia, and several mutations in the SEMA3A, NRP1, or PLXNA2 genes have been des

During the course of hibernation a rapid and reversible retraction and remodeling of dendrites and spines occurs in the brain of small hibernating mammals. Similar plasticity is also observed in hypothermic mice and rats, suggesting that the phenomenon is not exclusively regulated by hibernation-specific gene expression. While plasticity mechanisms during hibernation have mainly been studied in the hippocampus, the brain wide expression of a reversible and temperature-dependent phosphorylation of microtubule-associated protein tau (MAP-Tau), in both hibernating animals and non-hibernators, fur

…precise stimulation to recruit sensory neuronal populations is challenging, as the full spatial extent of neuronal morphology, including distal parts, may contribute to optogenetic activation. In this study, we investigate how mo

The neuronal plasma membrane is composed of versatile lipid molecules with distinct biophysical characteristics and functions. Among them, sphingomyelin (SM) influences the localization and functions of various proteins including GPI-anchored proteins. Therefore, elucidation of the mechanisms that regulate the SM amount is important for understanding the mechanisms that control neuronal morphology and information transmission. Reelin is a secreted protein that regulates neuronal morphology and dynamics. We previously found that the embryonic brain of Reelin-deficient mice shows aberrant lipid

Intracellular membrane protein trafficking is crucial for both normal cellular physiology and cell-cell communication. It is now established that intracellular trafficking not only uses the conventional secretory pathway but also an alternative secretion pathway able to bypass the need for passage through the Golgi apparatus, which is collectively termed unconventional protein secretion. One of the major actors of this pathway is the vesicular SNARE VAMP7, which is involved in the secretion of extracellular vesicles of late endosomal origin called exosomes. It was recently shown that exosomes

…to assess the impact of glia on neuronal morphology and recovery under injury conditions. We generated hPSC-derived forebrain neurons, astrocytes and microglia using the STEMdiff™ Forebrain Neuron, Astrocyte and Microglia culture systems, respectively. We maintained neuron-astrocyte co-cultures for one week usi

Diverse neurodevelopmental syndromes (e.g. Fragile X) are caused by alterations in specific genes leading to pervasive impairments comorbid with autism (i.e. social and repetitive behaviors). Although all ASDs converge into common core behaviors, genetic variants in ASD are very heterogeneous. Here, we describe a cleavable cell adhesion molecule (Negr1) as upregulated in the brain of 5 diverse mouse models of ASDs (including Fragile X) and postmortem brains from people with autism or Fragile X, and causative of core ASD behaviors and brain alterations when up-regulated in wild-type (WT) animal

…3D reconstruction of neuronal morphology, high throughput brain-wide connectivity mapping, and large-scale neuronal activity imaging, to characterize the transcriptomic, physiological, m