Constitutive and Ligand-Induced EGFR Signaling Triggers Distinct and Mutually Exclusive Downstream Signaling Networks Researchers report that the overexpressed epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) oscillates between two distinct and mutually exclusive modes of signaling. They provide evidence for non-canonical ​EGFR signaling in glioblastoma. [Nat Commun] Abstract | Press Release Activated Astrocytes Enhance the Dopaminergic Differentiation of Stem Cells and Promote Brain Repair through ​bFGF Scientists show that light illumination of astrocytes expressing engineered channelrhodopsin variant can remarkably enhance the release of ​basic fibroblast growth factor (​bFGF) and significantly promote the dopaminergic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells in vitro. [Nat Commun] Full Article Rgs6 Is Required for Adult Maintenance of Dopaminergic Neurons in the Ventral Substantia Nigra Parkinson disease is characterized by the preferential, but poorly understood, vulnerability to degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons in the ventral substantia nigra compacta. These sensitive mDA neurons express Pitx3, a transcription factor that is critical for their survival during development. Scientists used this dependence to identify, by flow cytometry and expression profiling, the negative regulator of G-protein signaling Rgs6 for its restricted expression in these neurons. [PLoS Genet] Full Article | Press Release Functional and Developmental Identification of a Molecular Subtype of Brain Serotonergic Neuron Specialized to Regulate Breathing Dynamics Disorders involving serotonin (5HT) dysregulation are commensurately heterogeneous and numerous. Scientists hypothesized that this breadth in functionality derives in part from a developmentally determined substructure of distinct subtypes of 5HT neurons each specialized to modulate specific behaviors. By manipulating developmentally defined subgroups one by one chemogenetically, they found that the Egr2-Pet1 subgroup is specialized to drive increased ventilation in response to carbon dioxide elevation and acidosis. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract p38α (MAPK14) Critically Regulates the Immunological Response and the Production of Specific Cytokines and Chemokines in Astrocytes Researchers studied the role of p38α signaling in astrocyte immune activation both in vitro and in vivo, and simultaneously examined the effects of astrocyte activation in CNS inflammation. [Sci Rep] Full Article Overexpression of SCLIP Promotes Growth and Motility in Glioblastoma Cells Researchers investigated the expression of SCLIP and its roles in the development of gliomas. Notably, they found that SCLIP was highly expressed in various grades of glioma samples, as compared with normal brain tissues. [Cancer Biol Ther] Abstract Transcriptional Profiling of Adult Neural Stem-Like Cells from the Human Brain Researchers found that adult human neural stem-like cells express stem cell markers and have reduced levels of markers that are typical of the mature cells in the nervous system. They report that the genes being highly expressed in adult human neural stem-like cells are associated with developmental processes and the extracellular region of the cell. [PLoS One] Full Article TAM Receptors Support Neural Stem Cell Survival, Proliferation and Neuronal Differentiation Scientists further demonstrated that all three TAM (Tyro3, Axl and Mertk) receptors were expressed by cultured primary neural stem cells (NSCs) and played a direct growth trophic role in NSC proliferation, neuronal differentiation and survival. [PLoS One] Full Article Effects of ROCK Inhibitor Y27632 and EGFR Inhibitor PD168393 on Human Neural Precursors Co-Cultured with Rat Auditory Brainstem Explant A rat auditory brainstem explant culture system was used as a screening platform for donor cells. The explants were co-cultured with human neural precursor cells (HNPCs) to determine HNPCs developmental potential in the presence of environmental cues characteristic for auditory brainstem region in vitro. [Neuroscience] Abstract |