Reelin glycoprotein is a serine protease with important roles in embryogenesis and during adult life. This comprehensive and integrative book examines the role that reelin plays in the etiology of various neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and autism. The book provides an unprecedented analysis of this emerging and novel protein by examining evidence from genetic, neuroanatomic, biochemical, and behavioral studies.
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was discovered in the brain in 1950 by Eugene Roberts. GABA is now considered one of the most important neurotransmitters and developmental signals. Knowledge on the complexity of GABA function is increasing exponentially. This volume covers basic research on GABA in the developing brain as it may relate to onset of autism and related developmental disorders. The evidence that dysfunction of GABA and related molecules is associated with autism is limited but expanding and seems to converge. Pertinent data are reviewed in this book and new research avenues in the basic and clinical arenas are described. The topics are of imminent interest to basic and clinical researchers as well as interested clinicians. * Discusses the neuropathology of the GABA system in autism * Presents new findings on common genetic mechanisms in Rett syndrome, Angelman syndrome, and autism * Includes information on the shared genetic risk factors between autism and major mental disorders * Foreword by Eugene Roberts
Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in mammalian brain development remains limited. However, the last few years have wit nessed a quantum leap in our knowledge, due to technological improve ments, particularly in molecular genetics. Despite this progress, the available body of data remains mostly phenomenological and reveals very little about the grammar that organizes the molecular dictionary to articulate a pheno type. Nevertheless, the recent progress in genetics will allow us to contem plate, for the first time, the integration of observation into a coherent view of brain development. Clearly, this may be a major challenge for the next century, and arguably is the most important task of contemporary develop mental biology. The purpose of the present book is to provide an overview that syn thesizes up-to-date information on selected aspects of mouse brain devel opment. Given the format, it was not possible to cover all aspects of brain development, and many important subjects are missing. The selected themes are, to a certain extent, subjective and reflect the interests of the contributing authors. Examples of major themes that are not covered are peripheral nervous system development, including myelination, the development of the hippocampus and several other CNS structures, as well as the developmental function of some important morphoregulatory molecules.
Only five years ago, nobody in his right mind would have consid ered publishing a book on reeler as a model for brain develop ment. Although this interesting mutation has been with us for half a century, it is fair to say that, in spite of a wave of enthusiasm in the late sixties and early seventies, generated primarily by Sidman, Caviness and colleagues, studies of reeler mice fell pro gressively out of fashion during the next two decades. All that changed almost overnight when the cloning of the reeler gene, dubbed reelin, was reported in Tom Curran's laboratory in 1995. The fact that the same gene was identified at the same time independently by two other groups using positional cloning sug gested strongly that reelin was the right candidate. Although the key experiments of transgenic rescue have not been made (and perhaps will never be), the equation "reeler is reelin" has been established beyond reasonable doubt, as alterations of the reelin gene and/or its expression have been found in at least five alleles of reeler and in the mutation Shaking Rat Kawasaki (SRK), an ortholog of reeler.
The genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms of neural development are essential for understanding evolution and disorders of neural systems. Recent advances in genetic, molecular, and cell biological methods have generated a massive increase in new information, but there is a paucity of comprehensive and up-to-date syntheses, references, and historical perspectives on this important subject. The Comprehensive Developmental Neuroscience series is designed to fill this gap, offering the most thorough coverage of this field on the market today and addressing all aspects of how the nervous system and its components develop. Particular attention is paid to the effects of abnormal development and on new psychiatric/neurological treatments being developed based on our increased understanding of developmental mechanisms. Each volume in the series consists of review style articles that average 15-20pp and feature numerous illustrations and full references. Volume 2 offers 56 high level articles devoted mainly to Formation of Axons and Dendrites, Migration, Synaptogenesis, Developmental Sequences in the Maturation of Intrinsic and Synapse Driven Patterns. - Series offers 144 articles for 2904 full color pages addressing ways in which the nervous system and its components develop - Features leading experts in various subfields as Section Editors and article Authors - All articles peer reviewed by Section Editors to ensure accuracy, thoroughness, and scholarship - Volume 2 sections include coverage of mechanisms which regulate: the formation of axons and dendrites, cell migration, synapse formation and maintenance during development, and neural activity, from cell-intrinsic maturation to early correlated patterns of activity
Sulfur Amino Acids—Advances in Research and Application: 2012 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ eBook that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Sulfur Amino Acids. The editors have built Sulfur Amino Acids—Advances in Research and Application: 2012 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Sulfur Amino Acids in this eBook to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Sulfur Amino Acids—Advances in Research and Application: 2012 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.
In the mature brain calcium ions play pivotal roles in transmembrane and intracellular transmission of signals. Thus, calcium is involved in numerous neuronal functions including neurotransmitter release, enzyme regulation, modulation of neuronal excitability, gene expression, microtubular transport or synaptic plasticity. Many of these calcium-dependent processes are mediated or modulated by a number of cytosolic calcium-binding proteins. All nerve cells contain the calcium-binding protein calmodulin. Other CaBPs are restricted to certain nerve celltypes, i.e. parvalbumin, calbindin and calretinin.
Autism is a condition worn for public scrutiny, blending personal aspects of the patient's life with his/her social environment. This book focuses on the physical aspects which make an individual autistic.
Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Epigenetics, Second Edition is a comprehensive reference on the epigenetic basis of common neuropsychiatric disorders. The volume is organized into chapters covering individual neuropsychiatric disorders, from addiction to anxiety and autism spectrum disorders, and is contributed by leading experts in their respective fields. The epigenetic aspects of each disorder are discussed, in the context of the full range of associated epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA modification, histone post-translational modification, chromatin organization, and non-coding RNA. A particular emphasis is placed on potential epigenetic interventions, when the effects of environmental stimuli on epigenetic states is particularly relevant to disease.This new edition has been fully updated to reflect recent research advances enabled by genomic technologies, as well as therapeutic interventions for previously unmanageable disorders. Several new chapters have been added on disorders or approaches not considered in the earlier edition, including epigenetics and anxiety disorders, epigenetics and neuroimaging in neuropsychiatric disorders, genome-wide approaches to epigenetic research, and the epigenetics of spinal muscular atrophy. By helping to define epigenetics as a key player in neuropsychiatric disorders, this volume empowers new research, clinical translation, and pharmacological advances, and highlights promising directions for ongoing investigation. - Analyzes the effects of environmental stimuli on epigenetic states that correlate with neuropsychiatric disease induction - Reviews the epigenetic basis for common neuropsychiatric disorders, thereby guiding translational therapies for clinicians and mechanistic studies for scientists - Features extensive use of diagrams, illustrations, tables, and graphical abstracts for each section to reinforce understanding - - Includes chapter contributions from leading global experts
This book presents a comprehensive overview on egg production in fish, from the standpoint of the oocyte. It covers oocyte development, maturation, hydration and fertilization. The book places special emphasis on using state-of-the-art tools for discerning the ultra-structure of the follicle and genomic/proteomic tools to fully understand biological basis of fish reproduction.
