The NOMPC ion channel hinge forms a gating spring that initiates mechanosensation

NOMPC Ion Channel Hinge Forms Gating Spring to Initiate Mechanosensation Academic Background Mechanosensation is the process by which organisms perceive external mechanical stimuli and convert them into electrical signals. This process plays a crucial role in touch, hearing, gravity perception, and the movement of internal organs and limbs. The ini...

Propagation of Pathologic α-Synuclein from Kidney to Brain May Contribute to Parkinson’s Disease

Pathological Link Between Kidney Disease and Parkinson’s Disease Academic Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the abnormal aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) in the brain, forming Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neurites (LNs). In recent years, increasing evidence suggests that the pathological agg...

Neural Mechanisms of Relational Learning and Fast Knowledge Reassembly in Plastic Neural Networks

Neural Mechanisms and Relational Learning: Rapid Knowledge Reassembly in Neural Networks Background Humans and animals possess a remarkable ability to learn relationships between items in experience (such as stimuli, objects, and events), enabling structured generalization and rapid information assimilation. A fundamental type of such relational le...

Aberrant Splicing in Huntington’s Disease Accompanies Disrupted TDP-43 Activity and Altered m6A RNA Modification

Aberrant Splicing in Huntington’s Disease Accompanies Disrupted TDP-43 Activity and Altered m6A RNA Modification Academic Background Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. The disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene, leading to ab...

A Distinct Hypothalamus–Habenula Circuit Governs Risk Preference

Study on the Hypothalamus-Habenula Circuit Regulating Risk Preference Academic Background In complex and uncertain environments, animals need to assess risks to make survival-favorable decisions. When faced with safe and risky options, animals usually exhibit a strong preference for one option, which remains consistent over time. However, how this ...

A Large Field-of-View, Single-Cell-Resolution Two- and Three-Photon Microscope for Deep and Wide Imaging

A Large Field-of-View, Single-Cell-Resolution Two- and Three-Photon Microscope for Deep and Wide Imaging

Large field-of-view, single-cell-resolution two- and three-photon microscope for deep and wide imaging Research Background and Problem Statement Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) is a powerful tool for deep tissue imaging, especially in the study of brain function in vivo. However, while traditional two-photon microscopy (2PM) can achieve a larger imagi...