A silent channel opens its gates
Article Abstract:
Several human neurodegenerative diseases lead to the destruction of distinct nerve-cell populations. It is popularly thought that such diseases are caused by cation-selective membrane channel activity, operated by glutamate, and this is supported by Zuo and colleague's work. They have traced the selective neurodegeneration occurring in a spontaneous neurological mouse mutant to the glutamate receptor channel family. By positionally cloning the Lc gene, and finding that the delta2 gene was cloned, they demonstrated that molecular alteration to a transmitter-gated channel can cause neuron degeneration.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1997
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The brain's garbage men
Article Abstract:
A study report about Brain function suggest that Microglial cells, the immune elements of the brain, are activated in disease or following injury and express a particular kind of cell-membrane receptor-a subtype of the purinergic family that mediates their phagocytic activity. The P2[Y.sub.6] receptor was identified as a mediator of microglial phagocytosis, which could aid the development of therapeutic agents to interfere with microglial activity in brain diseases.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 2007
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