Review Articles in 2007

Memory reconsolidation theory is the subject of intensive recent research and debate. Tronson and Taylor outline the molecular events implicated in this process and discuss how elucidating its mechanisms could improve our understanding of normal and abnormal memory function.

The basic principles of colour vision have been understood for a long time, but recent studies have revealed the processes underlying it in more detail. Lennie and Solomon review our current understanding of colour processing, from cones to the primary visual cortex.

Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) shares anatomical and behavioural features with certain neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Providing insight into the developmental and molecular basis of AgCC, Lynn Paul and colleagues explain why AgCC may be a good model for other brain disorders.

TREK1 is the most extensively studied of the mammalian two-pore-forming K⁺channels and is widely expressed in the brain. Honoré reviews the functional properties of TREK1 and describes recent results indicating its important roles in CNS function and disease.

Humans punish selfishly but also altruistically. Seymour, Singer and Dolan propose a neurobiological model of punishment based on our understanding of motivational systems, observational studies that show how punishment mediates cooperation, and brain imaging data from humans playing economic games.

Neuropoietic cytokines are not only important in the immune system. Patterson and colleagues review their wide-ranging functions, in particular their involvement in the control of neuronal, glial and immune responses to injury and disease, and their role in nervous system development.

Ca²⁺ signals in neurons need to be finely tuned in order to trigger the appropriate response. This review discusses the different characteristics and functions of the neuronal calcium sensor protein family members as key components of neuronal Ca²⁺signalling pathways.

Differentiation of neurons is accompanied by the development of axons and dendrites. New evidence fromin vitro and in vivostudies has led to a model of how extra- and intracellular signalling pathways can establish positive and negative feedback loops for neurite outgrowth.

Sleep and wakefulness must occur at appropriate times that are in accordance with our internal and external environments. Sakurai reviews how the orexin (hypocretin) system regulates sleep and wakefulness through interactions with systems that control emotion, reward and energy homeostasis.

Cell adhesion molecules localized at synapses do more than provide a physical link between pre and post-synaptic cells. Dalva and colleagues review the evidence for the roles of these molecules in synaptic development, and in the regulation of synaptic function.

Ensuring that neurons migrate to where they are needed in the brain is essential for the establishment, maintenance and modification of neural circuitry. Anton and colleagues describe how neurons migrate in the postnatal brain, specifically the adult brain.

Plasticity at central glutamatergic synapses is central to learning and memory and involves alterations in the functional properties and trafficking of synaptic AMPA receptors. The authors provide insights into AMPA receptor regulation and subsequent changes in synaptic strength.

The sensory nervous system provides an attractive model in which to study the establishment of neuronal diversity and connectivity. Beginning with neural crest cell migration, Marmigère and Ernfors discuss the molecular basis of specification, survival, axon growth and selection of termination fields.

The mitotic spindle is crucial for cell division and might have an important role in segregating cell fate determining factors. Buchman and Tsai review studies investigating spindle regulation duringDrosophila melanogasterneuroblast mitosis and relate this to our understanding of mammalian neurogenesis.

Understanding the mechanisms involved in the development of mesodiencephalic dopaminergic neurons might contribute to the success of cell-replacement strategies for disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Smidt and Burbach review the factors governing specification, migration, differentiation and maintenance of these neurons.

With combination antiretroviral therapy, HIV becomes a chronic, manageable condition. Ellis and colleagues explore how this has altered the time course of cognitive impairment associated with infection, the mechanisms underlying HIV-mediated neuropathology and potential strategies for diagnosis and treatment.

Microglial activation in response to environmental toxins or endogenous proteins might make a key contribution to neuronal damage after injury and in neurodegenerative diseases. Block and colleagues describe recent insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the overactivation of microglia.

Gamma oscillations have been implicated in higher brain functions, including memory formation, and may be disturbed in some psychiatric disorders. Jonas and colleagues describe the synaptic mechanisms by which gamma oscillations are generated in inhibitory interneuron networks in the hippocampus.