CURRENT PUBLICATIONS Deletion of the WD40 Domain of LRRK2 in Zebrafish Causes Parkinsonism-Like Loss of Neurons and Locomotive Defect Researchers cloned the homolog of human LRRK2, characterized its expression, and investigated its biological functions in zebrafish. [PLoS Genetics] Pluripotent Stem Cells in Neurodegenerative and Neurodevelopmental Diseases Investigators speculate about potential further experimental requirements and settings for reprogrammed neurons for in vitro disease modeling and drug discovery. [Hum Mol Genet] JNK3 Mediates Paraquat- and Rotenone-Induced Dopaminergic Neuron Death Using an antibody that recognizes all isoforms of activated c-Jun-N-terminal kinases (JNKs), researchers found that paraquat and rotenone stimulate JNK phosphorylation in primary cultured dopaminergic neurons. [J Neuropathol Exp Neurol] Brief Suppression of Abcc8 Prevents Autodestruction of Spinal Cord After Trauma Elimination of SUR1 in Abcc8-/- mice and in rats given antisense oligodeoxynucleotide against Abcc8 prevented progressive hemorrhagic necrosis, yielded significantly better neurological function, and resulted in lesions that were one-fourth to one-third the size of those in control animals. [Sci Transl Med] The Pleotrophic Effects of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I on Human Spinal Cord Neural Progenitor Cells While insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) activates both AKT and MAPK signaling in human neural stem cells, researchers demonstrate that IGF-I-mediated neurite outgrowth is dependent only on AKT signaling. Finally, researchers demonstrate that IGF-I is neuroprotective following glutamate exposure in a model of excitotoxic cell death. [Stem Cells Dev] An Abbreviated Protocol for Multilineage Neural Differentiation of Murine Embryonic Stem Cells and Its Perturbation by Methyl Mercury In the present study, investigators developed an improved test system for assessing neurodevelopmental toxicity using differentiating embryonic stem cells. [Reprod Toxicol] Neurotrophin-4 Mediates Neurogenesis in Mouse Embryonic Neural Stem Cells Through the Inhibition of the Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription-3 and the Modulation of the Activity of Protein Kinase B Findings suggest that the neurotrophin-4-activated signaling cascade is responsible for initiating a concert among sheddases, kinases, and phosphatases to mediate neurogenesis. [Cell Mol Neurobiol]
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