Top 7 papers in neuroscience

linkurl:1. Mechanotransduction proteins found;http://f1000.com/5074956?key=508sw6dkxkj0bc5A family of proteins, called Piezos, has been identified as important players in mechanically activated ion channels, which make possible several senses, such as hearing, touch and pain sensation. B. Coste, et al., linkurl:Science,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20813920?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 330:55-60, 2010. Evaluations by M. Moran and D. Kimball, Hydra Biosciences; J. Garcia-Anoveros, Northwestern University; F. Viana, UMH Instituto de Neurociencias; P. Garrity, Brandeis Univ; B. Nilius, KU Leuven. linkurl:Free F1000 Evaluation;http://f1000.com/5074956?key=508sw6dkxkj0bc5 linkurl:2. Epigenetics in mind;http://f1000.com/4303956?key=s3hgnk65ny1ty7k

Mouse litter
linkurl:Seweryn Olkowicz;http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mouse_litter.jpg

The body's tendency to silence the expression of one parental allele in favor of the other -- a practice known as genomic imprinting -- is much more widespread in the brain than scientists have believed, according to a new genome-wide study in mice. Surprisingly, more than 1300 genes in the mouse brain appear to exhibit "parent-of-origin" epigenetic effects. C. Gregg, et al., linkurl:Science,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20616232?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 329:643-8, 2010. Evaluations by R. Sapolsky, Stanford University; M.E. Carter and L. de Lecea, Stanford Univ; J. Messing, Rutgers University; Y. Ikeuchi and A. Bonni, Harvard Medical School; D. Sweatt, University of Alabama at Birmingham. linkurl:Free F1000 Evaluation;http://f1000.com/4303956?key=s3hgnk65ny1ty7k linkurl:3. Translation goes local;http://f1000.com/3168959?key=xy5kj3xdjr8dx4q Protein synthesis is a complicated game, but for the first time researchers have shown direct interaction between a transmembrane receptor, called DCC, with translational machinery in neurons, a step that likely facilitates localized protein manufacture. J. Tcherkezian, et al., linkurl:Cell,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20434207?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 141:632-44, 2010. Evaluations by R. Darnell, Rockefeller Univ; K. Kwan and C.B. Chien, Univ Utah; J. Heraud and M. Kiebler, Ctr for Brain Res, Med Univ Vienna, Austria; W. Kroeze and B. Roth, Univ North Carolina; L. Desgroseillers, Univ Montreal, Canada; L. Columbus, Univ Virginia. linkurl:Free F1000 Evaluation;http://f1000.com/3168959?key=xy5kj3xdjr8dx4q linkurl:4. What makes neurons dependent;http://f1000.com/5080962?key=hy3rrvsht6527ctNeurons in the peripheral nervous system need specific secretory molecules to survive during development while neurons in the central nervous system do not, and researchers now know why. Neurons in the PNS express two neurotrophin receptors, TrkA and TrkC, that induce cell death in absence of their ligands, while neurons in the CNS express receptor TrkB, which does not. V. Nikoletopoulou, et al., linkurl:Nature,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20811452?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 467:59-63, 2010. Evaluations by A.M. Davies, Cardiff University; M. Bothwell, University of Washington; H. Nakamura, Tohoku University, Japan. linkurl:Free F1000 Evaluation;http://f1000.com/5080962?key=hy3rrvsht6527ct linkurl:5. How the cortex interprets context;http://f1000.com/1131994?key=zq66bn5sx1j75mnNew findings illustrate the physiological underpinnings of animals' ability to change their response to external stimulus depending on the context of the situation. The firing activity of neurons in the brain is context-dependent -- when monkeys are confronted with identical visual stimuli, their neuronal activity varies depending on which of two different perceptual tasks they perform. M.R. Cohen, et al., linkurl:Neuron,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/18940596?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 60:162-73, 2008. Evaluations by M. Carandini, University College London; B. Cumming, NEI; D. Angelaki, Washington University School of Medicine. linkurl:Free F1000 Evaluation;http://f1000.com/1131994?key=zq66bn5sx1j75mn linkurl:6. Fusion in a snap;http://f1000.com/5471961?key=f6dr8vqbgmgg733Fewer SNARE complexes -- bundles of SNAP receptors that mediate vesicle fusion -- are required for vesicle-membrane fusion during exocytosis than previously believed. Past estimates ranged up to eleven SNARES, but fast fusion requires as few as three and slow fusion may need as few as one, according to new evidence. R. Mohrmann, et al., linkurl:Science,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20847232?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 330:502-5, 2010. Evaluations by L. Tamm, University of Virginia; Y. Xu and D. Tommre, Yale University School of Medicine; D. Stevens and J. Rettig, Universitaet des Saarlandes. linkurl:Free F1000 Evaluation;http://f1000.com/5471961?key=f6dr8vqbgmgg733 linkurl:7. The value of diversity;http://f1000.com/5158958?key=sl280b5878h8fcwNeuronal diversity -- variability in the electrophysiological properties of neurons -- is not just chance imprecision but a valuable feature of the nervous system. Diverse populations of neurons in the mouse olfactory bulb code more information than their homogeneous counterparts, researchers find. K. Padmanabhan, et al., linkurl:Nat Neurosci,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20802489?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 13:1276-82, 2010. Evaluations by B. Brembs, Freie Universitat Berlin; R. Wilson, Harvard Medical School. linkurl:Free F1000 Evaluation;http://f1000.com/5158958?key=sl280b5878h8fcw The F1000 Top 7 is a snapshot of the highest ranked articles from a 30-day period on Faculty of 1000 Neuroscience, as calculated on November 8, 2010. Faculty Members evaluate and rate the most important papers in their field. To see the latest rankings, search the database, and read daily evaluations, visit linkurl:http://f1000.com/.;http://f1000.com/
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[26th October 2010]