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This collection of reviews contains contributions by internationally recognized immunologists and molecular and cellular neurobiologists. Uniquely, it puts side by side cellular communication devices and signaling mechanisms in the immune and nervous systems and discusses mechanisms of interaction between the two systems, the significance of which has only recently been fully appreciated.
Diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs) phosphorylate diacylglycerol (DG), catalyzing its conversion into phosphatidic acid (PA). This reaction attenuates membrane DG levels, limiting the localization/activation of signaling proteins that bind this lipid. Initially recognized as modulators of classical and novel PKC family members, the function of the DGK has further expanded with the identification of novel DG effectors including Ras Guanyl nucleotide-releasing proteins (RasGRP) and chimaerin Rac GTPases. The product of the DGK reaction, PA, is also a signaling lipid that mediates activation of multiple proteins including the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). The DGK pathway thus modulates two li...
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of genetically and clinically heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired reciprocal social interactions and communication, and restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviors and interests. Studies in genetics, neurobiology and systems biology are providing insights into the pathogenesis of ASDs. Investigation of neural and synaptic defects in ASDs not only sheds light on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern the function of the central nervous system, but may lead to the discovery of potential therapeutic targets for autism and other cognitive disorders. Our Research Topic which constitutes this e-book documents the recent development and ideas in the study of pathogenesis and treatment of ASDs, with an emphasis on syndromic disorders such as fragile X and Rett syndromes. In addition, model systems and methodological approaches with translational relevance to autism are covered herein. We hope that the Research Topic will enhance the global knowledge base in the autism research community and foster new research directions in autism related biology.
This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact.
What sets humans apart from other animals? Perhaps more than anything else, it is the capacity for innovation. The accumulation of discoveries throughout history, big and small, has enabled us to build global civilizations and gain power to shape our environment. But what makes humans as a species so innovative? Min W. Jung offers a new understanding of the neural basis of innovation in terms of humans’ exceptional capacity for imagination and high-level abstraction. He provides an engaging account of recent advances in neuroscience that have shed light on the neural underpinnings of these profoundly important abilities. Jung examines key discoveries concerning the hippocampus and neural c...