Scientists show how a neuron gets its shape
... destination, dropping anchor and stretching their dendrites behind them as they crawl away. The work, led by ... found that they form a matrix to which the dendrites are anchored. Without the matrix to anchor the neuron, the dendrites didn't form properly. The two proteins, it ...Researchers identify toehold for HIV's assault on brain
... become damaged. Instead of sprouting healthy dendrites projections that resemble tiny trees neurons in ... brain of an HIV patient have had parts of their dendrites abruptly torn off, in a process known as "synaptic pruning." The dendrites begin to look like a patch of severely damaged ...Suckling Infant Triggers 'Trust' Hormone in Moms
... Neurons start releasing oxytocin from their dendrites (the arms that extend outward from the nerve cell ... from their nerve endings when a baby suckles. dendrites had been thought to receive more than transmit ... it appears that the release of oxytocin from the dendrites increases intra-neuron communication. That leads ...Scientists learn what's 'up' with a class of retinal cells in mice
... that form a communicative network with other dendrites and neurons in the brain. The work, led by ... dendrites. Most retinal neurons distribute their dendrites evenly around the cell body, but the upward ... directs the cell's function, orienting the dendrites downward like roots of great trees," says Sanes, ...RNA-associated introns guide nerve-cell channel production
... which branch from the cell body of the neuron. dendrites detect the electrical and chemical signals ... protein. In 2005, the Penn group first found that dendrites have the capacity to splice messenger RNA, a ... RNAs in neurons. Given the central role of dendrites in various physiological functions they hope to ...Dynamic molecular mechanism to keep brain activity stable
... newly synthesized synaptic proteins such as PSD-95, and move out them into dendrites of neurons. In contrast, DHHC2 are located mainly in dendrites of neurons. Dendritically localized DHHC2 mediates dynamic palmitoylation ...When It Comes to Memory, It's All About Location
... important role in memory function. The team found that proteasomes in the dendrites -- the branched parts of a neuron that conduct electrical stimulation -- ... now trying to learn how to block proteasome activity specifically in the dendrites of mice to increase the strength of synapses and of memory. In their ...Researchers Map Paths Governing Neuron Function
... the neuron that give rise to axons (which primarily receive signals) or dendrites (which primarily send signals). This new technology will help improve ... is crucial, as these structures give rise to the specialized axons and dendrites which relay sensory input and enable us to see, hear, taste, reason and ...Discovery supports theory of Alzheimer's disease as form of diabetes
... loss of insulin receptors from the surface of neurons specifically on dendrites to which ADDLs are bound. ADDL binding clearly damages the trafficking of ... absence of insulin receptors on their dendrites, we also found that dendrites with an abundance of insulin receptors showed no ADDL binding, said ...New insights into growth factor's role in brain development
... Intriguingly, proBDNF and BDNF encourage different actions; BDNF promotes the differentiation of new neurons and their constituent parts (axons, dendrites and synapses), and proBDNF the pruning of synapses -- a process that occurs particularly in the early stages of life. "Our results suggest that ...Protein Shown to Play a Key Role in Normal Development of Nervous System
... shortly after birth, when GluR1 is present on the surface of the cell. As neurons mature, GluR1 is lost from the cell surface of some neurons, and dendrites stop growing. Kalb and colleagues showed that suppressing GluR1 activity reduced dendrite growth, and led to poor development of connections ...Protein regulates movement of mitochondria in brain cells
... structure that consist of a main cell body and dendrites and axons that project out from the cell core and ... Rempe. "They put out enormous arms of axons and dendrites and they have to keep supplying nutrients and ... which the cell must also push down the axons and dendrites to provide these parts of the cell with energy, ...UC Davis researchers visualize formation of a new synapse
... formation. "We are the first to observe that neuroligin zips around dendrites (the branched projections of neurons) before synapses form and can ... the team was able to visualize: "Axons of one neuron grow toward the dendrites of neighboring neurons. As they do so, finger-like structures called ...Scientists discover a molecular scaffold that guides connections between brain cells
... cells, a type of neuron that deploys a bushy array of fibers called dendrites that extend through layers of cerebellar territory. The dendrites gather signals from many other neurons in the cerebellum and send signals ...Autopilot guides proteins in brain
... may enable finer control over neurons for basic research or for treatment of neurological disorders. Potentially, scientists could target only dendrites or axons in a neuron so as to study its outgoing or incoming impulses. In addition to these potential applications, the study is notable for its ...Rett Syndrome Research Trust advisor makes significant discovery
... cells in the brain. Glia support and interact with neurons in innumerable ways, from providing the structural underpinnings and guidance of axons and dendrites (the neuronal processes that carry information), to creating protective insulation for axons. These and other glial functions are essential to the ...Maintaining the brain's wiring in aging and disease
... down, the neuron will never again contribute to learning and memory, because these 'wires' do not re-grow in the human brain." But axons and dendrites are much more than inert fibre-optic wires. They are homes to the world's smallest transport tracks. Every one of our hundred billion nerve cells ...Rare genetic disorder gives clues to autism, epilepsy, mental retardation
... and TSC2, are inactivated, neurons grow too many axons (the long nerve fibers that transmit signals). Normal neurons grow just one axon and multiple dendrites (short projections that receive input from other neurons). This specification of axons and dendrites, known as polarity, is crucial for proper ...MIT IDs proteins key to brain function
... that relays information to other cellsand many shorter dendrites, which receive messages from other cells. The interconnection of these axons and dendrites is essential to create a functional neural circuit. In their study, the researchers found that mice without the three Ena/VASP proteins did ...Brain works more chaotically than previously thought
... by means of little "arms", known as dendrites. dendrites pass on the electrical impulses to the cell body, ... of axons and ancillary cells. There are no dendrites or even synapses here. "So it is not a place ... synapses," Dietrich speculates. "Nerve cells and dendrites are closely packed together here. So the axon ...Revealing the regulating mechanism behind signal transduction in the brain
... matter' has yet to divulge all its secrets. For example, we do not yet fully understand how we are able to learn and remember things. We do know that dendrites and axons − the offshoots of brain cells − play a crucial role by making contact with each other in so-called synapses, through which ...Nanotube forests grown on silicon chips for future computers, electronics
... Because the catalyst particles are about 10 nanometers in diameter, they allow the formation of tubes of similar diameter. The branching dendrites are tipped with molecules called amines, which act as handles to stick to the silicon surface. "This is important because for heat-transfer ...Biolistic Transfection of Organotypic Brain Slices
... Expression can be detected as early as 8 hours post-transfection and increases to fill all of the small processes of both the dendrites and axons of the neurons by 36 hours (Figure 4). Expression lasts for at least 7 days, although the end-point of this transient ...Sex Steroid Regulation of Vasopressin Levels Secreted by hNT Neurons*
... brain activity can be enhanced by estrogen treatment. 8,9 Recent studies have shown that estrogen stimulates mRNA for new growth of axons and dendrites and enhances gene expression for acetylcholine production. 10,11 Several studies of menopausal women undergoing estrogen treatment ...