Navigation Links
Speak up: Louder neurons form more connections

As the brain develops, neurons reach out helter-skelter forming new connections, only a small number of which take hold. How the brain chooses which connections to keep and which to prune back appears to be governed by which branches have the most electrical activity—a finding that could help to explain how early experiences guide brain development.

The work, published in the April 21 issue of Nature, takes advantage of tiny, see-through zebrafish. Stephen Smith, PhD, professor of molecular and cellular physiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and his graduate student Jackie Hua immersed 3-day-old fish in a breathable, Jell-O-like substance that kept the fish alive but immobile. The researchers could then focus video cameras on the fish’s developing brain to watch how the branches of individual neurons grew and shrank over time.

It turns out that determining which of the branches will grow follows an age-old axiom: The squeaky neuron gets the grease. “Louder neurons drown out their quieter neighbors,?Smith said.

Working out this seemingly simple rule took some technical finesse. Hua created zebrafish with a few brain cells that made a protein that prevented them from firing their normal electrical signals. These cells were also engineered to produce a protein that glowed green under the appropriate light.

Hua looked for green neurons in her immobilized fish to see how their branches fared compared with neighboring neurons that fired normally. The green neurons didn’t compete well.

Although the poorly-firing green neurons still formed extensive branching structures, which the researchers call the neuron’s arbor, most of those branches eventually receded while neighboring neurons formed a large number of stable connections. When the fish were five days old, the green neurons had a smaller, less complex arbor than those of neighboring neurons.

“We know that the arbor should occupy a certain amount of space
'"/>

Source:Stanford University


Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. First real-time view of developing neurons reveals surprises, say Stanford researchers
2. One gene links newborn neurons with those that die in diseases such as Alzheimers
3. Researchers make surprise discovery that some neurons can transmit three signals at once
4. Eating, body weight regulated by specific neurons
5. New neurons take baby steps in the adult brain
6. Algal protein in worm neurons allows remote control of behavior by light
7. Picking apart how neurons learn
8. Researchers get neurons and silicon talking
9. Mechanism for memory revealed in neurons of electric fish
10. Attention shoppers: Researchers find neurons that encode the value of different goods
11. Growth factor-promoting angiogenesis expressed in tumor cells and normal neurons
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
TAG: Speak Louder neurons form more connections

(Date:5/24/2013)... In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs) and other non-coding ... expression of specific proteins. In recent years they ... been used to establish tissue origin for cancers ... responses and screen for disease, but clinically tractable, ... samples are not currently available. In this issue ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... to be the world,s most popular fruit, can be ... with purple GM varieties. , "Working with GM ... the addition of a specific compound, allows us to ... Professor Cathie Martin from the John Innes Centre. , ... better flavour, health and shelf life characteristics because even ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... The tight wrapping of genomic DNA around nucleosomes ... gene expression. A team of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in ... DNA to be locally displaced from nucleosomes for ... is stored in the cell nucleus, wrapped around ... pairs of four different histone proteins and accommodating ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):The world's favorite fruit only better-tasting and longer-lasting 2Biochemistry: Unspooling DNA from nucleosomal disks 2
... plc (GSK) have signed a collaboration agreement to develop ... fatal genetic disease. The trans-Atlantic effort between researchers from ... the UK, will focus on developing molecules that could ... the mutated gene. This revolutionary approach will be a ...
... Center have identified biomarkers of poor outcomes in preterm infants ... Ardythe Morrow, PhD, a researcher at the Cincinnati ... in a particular DNA sequence in a gene important ... that this polymorphism raises the risk of bad outcomes in ...
... awarded its prestigious Hackerman Award to Rice University scientist ... star" for his innovative chemical research. Hafner,s discoveries include ... are proving useful for sensing, imaging and medicine, and ... cell membranes. "I,ve always known I wanted to ...
Cached Biology News:Breakthrough on cystic fibrosis 1 step closer as new research alliance formed 2Breakthrough on cystic fibrosis 1 step closer as new research alliance formed 3Researchers identify biomarkers of poor outcomes in preemies 2Rice scientist recognized for stellar work on nanoparticles, cell membranes 2Rice scientist recognized for stellar work on nanoparticles, cell membranes 3
(Date:5/23/2013)... Graphite Metallizing Corporation announces a ... in stainless steel pillow blocks. This series combines ... the application and installation versatility of pillow blocks. ... work exceptionally well when submerged in water, water-soluble ... as acids, alkalies, hydrocarbons, black liquor, and liquid ...
(Date:5/23/2013)...  Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) and StemCyte, Inc., ... banking and therapeutics, announced today that StemCyte has become ... Indy car driven by James Jakes ... IndyCar 2013 season.   StemCyte, Inc. and Rahal ... of umbilical cord blood banking and its educational initiative ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Calif. , May 23, 2013 ... a strategic alliance with DAK Renewable Research to ... corn oil yield. VG Energy is a majority ... Pink: VGLS). VG Energy,s exclusively licensed ... increase the oil yield in plants, possessing a ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... 23, 2013 BioTrends Research Group, one ... for specialized biopharmaceutical issues, finds that, unaided, one ... specialists reported that in the past six months, ... treatment) in anticipation of the next generation of ... when only 6 percent reported that they had ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Graphite Metallizing Now Offers GRAPHALLOY® Stainless Steel Pillow Blocks for Success in Submersible Applications 2Graphite Metallizing Now Offers GRAPHALLOY® Stainless Steel Pillow Blocks for Success in Submersible Applications 3StemCyte, Inc. Joins Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing As Associate Sponsor Of No. 16 IndyCar Program For James Jakes Beginning With The 97th Indianapolis 500 2StemCyte, Inc. Joins Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing As Associate Sponsor Of No. 16 IndyCar Program For James Jakes Beginning With The 97th Indianapolis 500 3VG Energy Enters into a Strategic Alliance with DAK Renewable Research for LipidMax Field Trials 2VG Energy Enters into a Strategic Alliance with DAK Renewable Research for LipidMax Field Trials 3The Majority of Physicians that Treat Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Have Begun "Warehousing" and Preparing Their HCV Patients for the Next Generation of HCV Treatments 2The Majority of Physicians that Treat Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Have Begun "Warehousing" and Preparing Their HCV Patients for the Next Generation of HCV Treatments 3
... Outside the convention hall, I stopped last week to ... poor farmers poorer. He was a young and pleasant enough ... ,I told him biotechnology may be the last, best hope ... of millions of people who dont get enough to eat ...
... The Wisconsin Technology Council has published the ... 24-page publication highlights the states research base, technology-transfer ... and the I-Q Corridor that joins Chicago, Wisconsin ... Network has arranged to post excerpts from Life ...
... Editors note: Recently the Wisconsin Technology Network sat ... Wisconsin Technology Council , to discuss the basic tenets ... putting forth to help Wisconsins technology space grow. Read ... Network: What are the biggest challenges the Wisconsin Technology ...
Cached Biology Technology:The New Green Revolution offers hope to poor farmers and poor consumers 2The New Green Revolution offers hope to poor farmers and poor consumers 3Life Science: From Chicago to the Twin Cities: All tech roads lead to Wisconsin 2Life Science: From Chicago to the Twin Cities: All tech roads lead to Wisconsin 3WTN exclusive interview with Tom Still, Wisconsin Technology Council - Part 2 2WTN exclusive interview with Tom Still, Wisconsin Technology Council - Part 2 3WTN exclusive interview with Tom Still, Wisconsin Technology Council - Part 2 4
In Western blotting antibodies recognize 94 K protein band, which corresponds to S-layer protein...
High affinity antibodies recognizes HSP70 protein from human cardiac tissue. Could be used for Westerb blotting application, ELISA....
The VersArray hybridization chamber is used for manual (coverslip) hybridization of microarrays. The chamber accommodates 2 slides and is watertight to allow incubation of slides in a water bath. Dim...
... solid. PROTECT FROM LIGHT. Useful in cell activation experiments ... ≥98% by TLC. Soluble in DMSO or EtOH. ... 10 mM stock in DMSO is recommended. Microliter amounts ... O with rapid mixing (e.g. 10 μl into 5 ...
Biology Products: