Special Issue: Neurobiology

The brain is the organ that orchestrates the whole body. To do so, neurons and glia in different brain regions have evolved to be highly specialized and are regulated by diverse receptors and neuro- and gliotransmitters. Some of the features of the brain, including a protective brain–blood barrier, high-energy demand, and electrical activity, mean that neurons and astrocytes are uniquely diverse components of tissue that vary greatly even across brain regions.  In the latest Special Issue of The FEBS Journal, Neurobiology, you will find 19 review articles that cover different aspects of the broad field of neuroscience—from neurodevelopment, physiology and memory formation to the mechanisms underlying the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

We wish to thank the authors for their excellent contributions to this Special Issue, and we hope that our readers will find these reviews interesting and informative.

On the cover: A 3D illustration of a neural network in the human nervous system, credited to Andrii Vodolazhskyi (Shutterstock, ID 536377753).

References

• 1. Mao K, Zhang G. The role of PARP1 in neurodegenerative diseases and aging. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2013– 24.
• 2. Konstantoulea K, Louros N, Rousseau F, Schymkowitz J. Heterotypic interactions in amyloid function and disease. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2025– 46.
• 3. Ginsberg SD, Neubert TA, Sharma S, Digwal CS, Yan P, Timbus C, et al. Disease-specific interactome alterations via epichaperomics: the case for Alzheimer’s disease. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2047– 66.
• 4. Jancke D, Herlitze S, Kringelbach ML, Deco G. Bridging the gap between single receptor type activity and whole-brain dynamics. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2067– 84
• 5. Fatoba O, Itokazu T, Yamashita T. Complement cascade functions during brain development and neurodegeneration. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2085– 109.
• 6. Irfan M, Evonuk KS, DeSilva TM. Microglia phagocytose oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and synapses during early postnatal development: implications for white versus gray matter maturation. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2110– 27.
• 7. Fan R, Lai KO. Understanding how kinesin motor proteins regulate postsynaptic function in neuron. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2128– 44.
• 8. Nath A, Johnson TP. Mechanisms of viral persistence in the brain and therapeutic approaches. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2145– 61.
• 9. Robledo-Menendez A, Vella M, Grandes P, Soria-Gomez E. Cannabinoid control of hippocampal functions: the where matters. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2162– 75.
• 10. Bin Ibrahim MZ, Benoy A, Sajikumar S. Long-term plasticity in the hippocampus: maintaining within and ‘tagging’ between synapses. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2176– 201.
• 11. Wang Y, Fu AKY, Ip NY. Instructive roles of astrocytes in hippocampal synaptic plasticity: neuronal activity-dependent regulatory mechanisms. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2202– 18.
• 12. Camblor-Perujo S, Kononenko NL. Brain-specific functions of the endocytic machinery. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2219– 46.
• 13. Muraleedharan R, Dasgupta B. AMPK in the brain: its roles in glucose and neural metabolism. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2247– 62.
• 14. Cataldi S, Stanley AT, Miniaci MC, Sulzer D. Interpreting the role of the striatum during multiple phases of motor learning. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2263– 81.
• 15. Lu MH, Hsueh YP. Protein synthesis as a modifiable target for autism-related dendritic spine pathophysiologies. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2282– 300.
• 16. Bonefas KM, Iwase S. Soma-to-germline transformation in chromatin-linked neurodevelopmental disorders. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2301– 17. 
• 17. Yang J, Yang X, Tang K. Interneuron development and dysfunction. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2318– 36.
• 18. Guo M, Schwartz TD, Dunaief JL, Cui QN. Myeloid cells in retinal and brain degeneration. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2337– 61.
• 19. Deem JD, Faber CL, Morton GJ. AgRP neurons: regulators of feeding, energy expenditure, and behavior. FEBS J. 2022; 289: 2362– 81.