Unlocking the secret(ase) of building neural circuits
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 - 17:32
in Biology & Nature
Mutant presenilin is infamous for its role in the most aggressive form of Alzheimer's disease -- early-onset familial Alzheimer's -- which can strike people as early as their 30s. In their latest study, researchers uncovered presenilin's productive side: It helps embryonic motor neurons navigate the maze of chemical cues that pull, push and hem them in on their way to their proper targets. Without it, budding motor neurons misread their guidance signals and get stuck in the spinal cord.