A push makes neuron longer
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 - 17:14
in Biology & Nature
Some neurons from spinal cord have quite long neurites, but the molecular mechanism of long-neurite outgrowth has been still mysterious. The research team led by Assistant Professor Koji Shibasaki in Gumma University and Professor Makoto Tominaga in National Institute for Physiological Sciences (NIPS) in Japan, reported that TRPV2 receptor can act as mechanical stretch-sensor in developing neurons to help their neurites grow much longer. They report their finding in Journal of Neuroscience published on March 31, 2010.