Neuroscience

Operation regimes of spinal circuits controlling locomotion and the role of supraspinal drives and sensory feedback

1. Ilya A Rybak
2. Natalia A Shevtsova
3. Sergey N Markin
4. Boris I Prilutsky
5. Alain Frigon

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This fundamental state-of-the-art modeling study explores neural mechanisms underlying walking control in cats, demonstrating the probability of three different states of operation of the spinal circuitry generating locomotion at different speeds. The authors' biophysical modeling sufficiently reproduces and provides explanations for experimental data on how the locomotor cycle and phase durations depend on treadmill walking speed and points to new principles of circuit functional architecture and operating regimes underlying how spinal circuits interact with supraspinal signals and limb sensory feedback signals to produce different locomotor behaviors at different speeds, which are major unresolved problems in the field. The modeling evidence is compelling, especially in advancing our understanding of locomotion control mechanisms and will interest neuroscientists studying the neural control of movement.

Reviewed by eLife

Long-range neuropeptide relay as a central-peripheral communication mechanism for the context-dependent modulation of interval timing behaviors

1. Tianmu Zhang
2. Zekun Wu
3. Yutong Song
4. Wenjing Li
5. Yanying Sun
6. Xiaoli Zhang
7. Kyle Wong
8. Justine Schweizer
9. Khoi-Nguyen Ha Nguyen
10. Alex Kwan
11. Woo Jae Kim

Reviewed by Review Commons

POMC neurons control fertility through differential signaling of MC4R in Kisspeptin neurons

1. Rajae Talbi
2. Todd L Stincic
3. Kaitlin Ferrari
4. Choi Ji Hae
5. Karol Walec
6. Elizabeth Medve
7. Achi Gerutshang
8. Silvia León
9. Elizabeth A McCarthy
10. Oline K Rønnekleiv
11. Martin J Kelly
12. Víctor M Navarro

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  The study presents compelling evidence that the melanocortin system originating in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus plays a crucial role in puberty onset, representing a significant advance in our understanding of reproductive biology. The work, which represents a fundamental advance, employs innovative approaches and benefits from the combined expertise of two respected laboratories, enhancing the robustness of the findings. Given the potential impact on human health and the strength of the evidence presented, this work will likely influence the field substantially and may inform future clinical applications.

Reviewed by eLife

APP β-CTF triggers cell-autonomous synaptic toxicity independent of Aβ

1. Mengxun Luo
2. Jia Zhou
3. Cailu Sun
4. Wanjia Chen
5. Chaoying Fu
6. Chenfang Si
7. Yaoyang Zhang
8. Yang Geng
9. Yelin Chen

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study presents a useful demonstration that a specific protein fragment may induce the loss of synapses in Alzheimer's disease. The evidence supporting the data is solid but incomplete and would benefit from additional experiments. The application of the findings is limited because blocking the formation of the protein fragment has not benefited patients in several clinical trials.

Reviewed by eLife

α/β-Hydrolase domain-containing 6 (ABHD6) accelerates the desensitization and deactivation of TARP γ-2-containing AMPA receptors

1. Rixu Cong
2. Huiran Li
3. Hong Yang
4. Jing Gu
5. Shanshan Wang
6. Xiangyu Guan
7. Tangyunfei Su
8. Yunlin Zheng
9. Dianchun Wang
10. Xinran Chen
11. Lei Yang
12. Yun Stone Shi
13. Mengping Wei
14. Chen Zhang

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This fundamental work demonstrates that ABHD6 regulates AMPAR gating kinetics in a TARP γ-2-dependent manner. The evidence in this study is compelling. This study will be of interest to readers in the field of synaptic transmission.

Reviewed by eLife

Human birth tissue products as a non-opioid medicine to inhibit post-surgical pain

1. Chi Zhang
2. Qian Huang
3. Neil C. Ford
4. Nathachit Limjunyawong
5. Qing Lin
6. Fei Yang
7. Xiang Cui
8. Ankit Uniyal
9. Jing Liu
10. Megha Mahabole
11. Hua He
12. Xue-Wei Wang
13. Irina Duff
14. Yiru Wang
15. Jieru Wan
16. Guangwu Zhu
17. Srinivasa N Raja
18. Hongpeng Jia
19. Dazhi Yang
20. Xinzhong Dong
21. Xu Cao
22. Scheffer C. Tseng
23. Shao-Qiu He
24. Yun Guan

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  The authors provide convincing data that identify a novel, non-opioid biologic from human birth tissue products with anti-nociceptive properties in a preclinical mouse model of surgical pain. This important study highlights the potential use of naturally derived biologics from human birth tissues as safe and sustainable pain treatment options that do not possess the adverse side effects associated with opioids and synthetic pharmaceuticals. Whether these results will translate to the clinic remains to be seen, nevertheless, these preclinical findings are promising.

Reviewed by eLife, Arcadia Science

Translatome analysis reveals cellular network in DLK-dependent hippocampal glutamatergic neuron degeneration

1. Erin M Ritchie
2. Siming Zhong
3. Qianyi Pu
4. Yunbo Li
5. Binhai Zheng
6. Yishi Jin

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This manuscript describes the impact of modulating signaling by a key regulatory enzyme, Dual Leucine Zipper Kinase (DLK), on hippocampal neurons. The results are interesting and will be important for scientists interested in synapse formation, axon specification, and cell death. The methods and interpretation of the data are solid, but the study can be further strengthened with some additional studies and controls.

Reviewed by eLife

Age-related changes in “cortical” 1/f dynamics are linked to cardiac activity

1. Fabian Schmidt
2. Sarah K Danböck
3. Eugen Trinka
4. Dominic P Klein
5. Gianpaolo Demarchi
6. Nathan Weisz

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  Examination of (a)periodic brain activity has gained particular interest in the last few years in the neuroscience fields relating to cognition, disorders, and brain states. Using large EEG/MEG datasets from younger and older adults, the current study provides compelling evidence that age-related differences in aperiodic EEG/MEG signals can be driven by cardiac rather than brain activity. Their findings have important implications for all future research that aims to assess aperiodic neural activity, suggesting control for the influence of cardiac signals is essential.

Reviewed by eLife

The effects of 17α-estradiol treatment on endocrine system revealed by single-nucleus transcriptomic sequencing of hypothalamus

1. Lei Li
2. Guanghao Wu
3. Xiaolei Xu
4. Junling Yang
5. Lirong Yi
6. Ziqing Yang
7. Zheng Mo
8. Li Xing
9. Ying Shan
10. Zhuo Yu
11. Yinchuan Li

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study demonstrates the potential role of 17α-estradiol in modulating neuronal gene expression in the aged hypothalamus of male rats, identifying key pathways and neuron subtypes affected by the drug. While the findings are useful and provide a foundation for future research, the strength of supporting evidence is incomplete due to the lack of female comparison, a young male control group, unclear link to 17α-estradiol lifespan extension in rats, demonstration of physiological effects of the treatment, and insufficient analysis of glial cells and cellular senescence in CRH neurons.

Reviewed by eLife

Modelling inflammation-induced peripheral sensitization in a dish - more complex than expected?

1. Yuening Li
2. Amy Lock
3. Laura Fedele
4. Irene Zebochin
5. Alba Sabate
6. Matthew Siddle
7. Silvia Cainarca
8. Pascal Röderer
9. Katharina Montag
10. Paola Tarroni
11. Oliver Brüstle
12. Tanya Shaw
13. Leonie Taams
14. Franziska Denk

Reviewed by Arcadia Science