Rbfox3-Regulated Alternative Splicing of Numb Promotes Neuronal Differentiation during Development Researchers focused on a neuron-specific RNA-binding protein, Rbfox3, recently identified as the antigen of the widely used anti-NeuN antibody. Small interfering RNA-mediated loss-of-function studies using the developing chicken spinal cord revealed that Rbfox3 is required to promote neuronal differentiation of postmitotic neurons. [J Cell Biol] Abstract Metabotropic NMDA Receptor Function Is Required for β-Amyloid-Induced Synaptic Depression Investigators found that elevated oligomeric β-amyloid (Aβ) requires ion flux-independent function of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) to produce synaptic depression. Aβ activates this metabotropic NMDAR function on GluN2B-containing NMDARs but not on those containing GluN2A. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract | Press Release Metabotropic NMDA Receptor Function Is Required for NMDA Receptor-Dependent Long-Term Depression Researchers showed that ligand binding to NMDA receptors (NMDARs) is sufficient to induce long-term depression (LTD); neither ion flow through NMDARs nor Ca2+ rise is required. However, basal levels of Ca2+ are permissively required. Lowering, but not maintaining, basal Ca2+ levels with Ca2+ chelators blocks LTD and drives strong synaptic potentiation, indicating that basal Ca2+ levels control NMDAR-dependent LTD and basal synaptic transmission. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract | Press Release A Kinome-Wide RNAi Screen in Drosophila Glia Reveals that the RIO Kinases Mediate Cell Proliferation and Survival through TORC2-Akt Signaling in Glioblastoma In Drosophila melanogaster, activation of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and Pi-3 kinase (PI3K) pathways in glial progenitor cells creates malignant neoplastic glial tumors that display many features of human glioblastoma. In both human and Drosophila, activation of the RTK and PI3K pathways stimulates Akt signaling along with other as-yet-unknown changes that drive oncogenesis. The authors used this Drosophila glioblastoma model to perform a kinome-wide genetic screen for new genes required for RTK- and PI3K-dependent neoplastic transformation. [PLoS Genet] Full Article Genome-Wide Comparison of DNA Hydroxymethylation in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells and Neural Progenitor Cells by a New Comparative hMeDIP-seq Method Using their improved method, the authors profiled and compared the DNA hydroxymethylomes of mouse ES cells (ESCs) and mouse ESC-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs). They identified differentially hydroxymethylated regions between ESCs and NPCs and uncovered an intricate relationship between the alteration of DNA hydroxymethylation and changes in gene expression during neural lineage commitment of ESCs. [Nucleic Acids Res] Full Article A Subpopulation of Individual Neural Progenitors in the Mammalian Dorsal Pallium Generates Both Projection Neurons and Interneurons In Vitro Researchers present evidence that single mouse neocortical progenitors generated both projection neurons and GABAergic interneurons based on studies using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (to obtain individual progenitors) and in vitro clonal analysis using time-lapse video microscopy and immunostaining. [Stem Cells] Full Article Physiological Release of Endogenous Tau Is Stimulated by Neuronal Activity Propagation of tau pathology is linked with progressive neurodegeneration, but the mechanism underlying trans-synaptic spread of tau is unknown. Researchers showed that stimulation of neuronal activity, or AMPA receptor activation, induces tau release from healthy, mature cortical neurons. [EMBO Rep] Full Article Nanofibrous Scaffold-Mediated REST Knockdown to Enhance Neuronal Differentiation of Stem Cells Researchers explored the feasibility of directing neuronal differentiation through synergistic integration of three-dimensional nanofibrous topographical cues and scaffold-mediated knockdown of RE-1 silencing transcription factor (REST) in mouse neural stem/progenitor cells. Taking advantage of the strong adhesive property and latent reactivity of mussel-inspired polydopamine coating, electrospun polycaprolactone nanofibers were successfully functionalized with REST siRNAs. [Biomaterials] Abstract The Role of TLR4 in the Paclitaxel Effects on Neuronal Growth In Vitro Scientists demonstrated that low concentrations of paclitaxel (Pac) do not influence the neuronal growth in cultures in both wild type and TLR4 knockout mice. Higher concentrations of Pac had a significant effect on DRG neurons from wild type mice, affecting the number of neurons which developed neurites, number of neurites per cell, and the length of neurites. [PLoS One] Full Article Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells (NSPCs) Display a Low Requirement for Oxidative Metabolism Independent of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1 Alpha (HIF-1α) Expression Scientists investigated the metabolic state of undifferentiated neural stem/progenitor cells in culture, and tested their relative reliance on oxidative vs. glycolytic metabolism for survival, as well as their dependence upon HIF-1α expression for maintenance of metabolic phenotype. Unlike primary neurons, NSPCs from embryonic and adult mice survived prolonged hypoxia in culture. [J Neurochem] Abstract Quantitative Microplate Assay for Studying Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Induced Neuropoiesis Scientists characterized a microplate-format coculture system in which primary embryonic rat cortex cells are directly cocultured with human mesenchymal stromal cells on cell-derived extracellular matrix in the absence of exogenous growth factors. [Stem Cells Transl Med] Abstract |