Prion protein attenuates excitotoxicity by inhibiting NMDA receptors

sea-maid submitted, created time 6 months 3 weeks (www.jcb.org)

To determine the physiological role of PrPC, this author examines the neurophysiological properties of hippocampal neurons isolated from PrP-null mice.

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Prions are usefull for disease

Synaptic Scaffolding Molecule {alpha} Is a Scaffold To Mediate N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor-Dependent RhoA Activation in Dendrites

annatto submitted, created time 1 year 7 months (mcb.asm.org)

"Synaptic scaffolding molecule (S-SCAM) interacts with a wide variety of molecules at excitatory and inhibitory synapses. It comprises three alternative splicing variants, S-SCAM{alpha}, -ß, and -{gamma}. We generated mutant mice lacking specifically S-SCAM{alpha}. S-SCAM{alpha}-deficient mice breathe and feed normally but die within 24 h after birth. Primary cultured hippocampal neurons from mutant mice have abnormally elongated dendritic spines. Exogenously expressed S-SCAM{alpha} corrects this abnormal morphology, while S-SCAMß and -{gamma} have no effect

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Decoding NMDA Receptor Signaling: Identification of Genomic Programs Specifying Neuronal Survival and Death

matrix submitted, created time 1 year 10 months (www.neuron.org)

NMDA receptors promote neuronal survival but also cause cell degeneration and neuron loss. Whole-genome expression profiling revealed that NMDA receptor signaling is decoded at the genomic level through activation of two distinct, largely nonoverlapping gene-expression programs. These results help explain the opposing roles of synaptic and extrasynaptic NMDA receptors on neuronal fate. very cool application of whole-genome expression profiling.

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