Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-07-01Epub Date: 2025-06-14DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.010
Joana Cavaco, Sara Carvalhal
{"title":"Non-canonical roles of mitotic proteins in cortical neurons.","authors":"Joana Cavaco, Sara Carvalhal","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mitotic proteins are traditionally studied for their role in chromosome segregation during cell division. However, research increasingly highlights the important non-canonical roles of mitotic proteins beyond mitosis, particularly in the mammalian cerebral cortex. Alterations in the expression levels or mutations of mitotic proteins are increasingly linked to brain disorders such as primary microcephaly and Alzheimer's disease. A central, unresolved question remains: how do mitotic proteins contribute to neuronal pathogenesis? Here, we review emerging literature on the non-canonical roles of mitotic proteins in mature neurons. Additionally, we discuss how these contribute to the complex mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. We also discuss their potential for identifying therapeutic strategies and as biomarkers in brain pathologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"495-507"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144295018","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-07-01Epub Date: 2025-06-12DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.008
Marina Seady, Aaron J Johnson
{"title":"CD8 T cells as drivers of blood-brain barrier disruption.","authors":"Marina Seady, Aaron J Johnson","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption is a hallmark of many neurological diseases. It is known that proinflammatory cytokines can disrupt tight junctions between endothelial cells of the BBB, allowing larger molecules to penetrate the brain. Along with BBB disruption, these diseases also feature increased numbers of CD8 T cells as components of the immune cell population in the brain. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of CD8 T cell-mediated BBB disruption, including the roles of antigen presentation through MHC class I molecules, which emerge as an important determining feature of BBB disruption and immune cell infiltration into the brain.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"483-494"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144286597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-07-01Epub Date: 2025-06-04DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.002
Xiao Xu, Dun Mao
{"title":"Dissociation and transformation between recognition memory and spatial navigation representations.","authors":"Xiao Xu, Dun Mao","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recognition refers to the ability to identify previously encountered stimuli, whereas navigation pertains to the capacity to employ flexible strategies to reach a destination. Despite their functional distinctions, the neural substrates of recognition and navigation share some commonalities, but many aspects of their relationship remain debated, particularly concerning the role of the hippocampus. We synthesize recent primate studies to examine how the hippocampus and related regions contribute to recognition memory and spatial navigation. We highlight that scene recognition, an ethologically relevant process for primates, is closely linked to spatial navigation. Emerging behavioral and physiological evidence suggests that while recognition and navigation share overlapping circuitry, they engage partially dissociable neural mechanisms. We argue that their interplay can be better understood through the framework of reference frame transformation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"508-522"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144235345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-07-01Epub Date: 2025-06-05DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.011
Akhila Rajan, Alex C Keene
{"title":"The ABCs of lipid exposure in maintaining neural health.","authors":"Akhila Rajan, Alex C Keene","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>ABC transporters modulate lipid homeostasis and are implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. In a recent study, Chen et al. uncovered unexpected dual roles for the Drosophila ABCA protein eater of debris (Eato), which suppresses phospholipid exposure in both neurons and phagocytes, conferring opposite functional outcomes in each cell type. This challenges classical models of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter function and reveals new mechanisms by which lipid signaling regulates neuron-glia interactions in neurodegenerative contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"461-463"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12240697/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144249750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-07-01Epub Date: 2025-06-05DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.003
Xueying Peng, Yixian Cui
{"title":"PDZD8 orchestrates synaptic remodeling through autophagy.","authors":"Xueying Peng, Yixian Cui","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In a recent study, Thakur and O'Connor-Giles identified PDZD8 as a novel regulator of activity-dependent synaptic growth in Drosophila. Localized at endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-late endosome/lysosome (LEL) membrane contact sites (MCSs), PDZD8 promotes autophagy by coupling lipid transfer to autolysosome maturation to drive synaptic bouton formation, providing in vivo evidence that autophagy contributes directly to synaptic remodeling.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"464-465"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144249749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-07-01Epub Date: 2025-06-05DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.006
Marcos Olvera-Rojas, Francisco B Ortega, Irene Esteban-Cornejo
{"title":"Interplay between physical activity, tau pathophysiology, and cognition.","authors":"Marcos Olvera-Rojas, Francisco B Ortega, Irene Esteban-Cornejo","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Physical activity (PA) has emerged as a modifiable protective lifestyle factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). In a recent study by Kim and colleagues, higher levels of PA were associated with reduced phosphorylated tau (ptau) 217 concentrations even after accounting for β-amyloid (Aβ) brain uptake, suggesting a link with tau pathophysiology; this link also mediated better general cognition.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"466-468"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144249748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-07-01Epub Date: 2025-06-16DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.004
Benjamin E Life, Blair R Leavitt
{"title":"Progranulin function and regulation in the CNS.","authors":"Benjamin E Life, Blair R Leavitt","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dysregulated progranulin expression is robustly associated with diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Recent research has been progressing toward a mechanistic understanding of the role of progranulin in CNS disease pathophysiology. In this review we describe the consequences of dysregulated progranulin expression in experimental and disease states. Collectively, these studies reveal that progranulin has diverse roles as a cell signaling molecule that regulates lysosomal function, immune processes, and growth. Given the functional and pathological implications of aberrant progranulin expression, we also summarize the mechanisms of progranulin regulation. We then highlight therapeutic strategies for progranulin upregulation. Ultimately, we explore the relationship between progranulin function and regulation with the goals of identifying key open questions and facilitating rational therapeutic development.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"523-537"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144318025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-03-28DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.03.001
Matilde Aquilino, Nora Ditzer, Takashi Namba, Mareike Albert
{"title":"Epigenetic and metabolic regulation of developmental timing in neocortex evolution.","authors":"Matilde Aquilino, Nora Ditzer, Takashi Namba, Mareike Albert","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.03.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.03.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The human brain is characterized by impressive cognitive abilities. The neocortex is the seat of higher cognition, and neocortex expansion is a hallmark of human evolution. While developmental programs are similar in different species, the timing of developmental transitions and the capacity of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) to proliferate differ, contributing to the increased production of neurons during human cortical development. Here, we review the epigenetic regulation of developmental transitions during corticogenesis, focusing mostly on humans while building on knowledge from studies in mice. We discuss metabolic-epigenetic interplay as a potential mechanism to integrate extracellular signals into neural chromatin. Moreover, we synthesize current understanding of how epigenetic and metabolic deregulation can cause neurodevelopmental disorders. Finally, we outline how developmental timing can be investigated using brain organoid models.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"430-444"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143744067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-05-08DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.04.006
Aletta M R van den Bosch, Jörg Hamann
{"title":"Gi signaling controls microglial surveillance and neuronal synchronization.","authors":"Aletta M R van den Bosch, Jörg Hamann","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.04.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.04.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microglia-neuron interactions are essential for maintaining brain homeostasis. In a recent study, Zhao and colleagues demonstrated that activation of Gi-G-protein-coupled receptors (Gi-GPCRs) on microglia suppresses microglial process dynamics, reduces neuronal activity, and disrupts network synchronization. These findings highlight the role of microglial Gi-GPCR signaling in neuromodulation and its role in network activity in the healthy brain.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"393-394"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144016703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-05-02DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.04.003
Cheng-Hsi Wu, Léa Camelot, Salvatore Lecca, Manuel Mameli
{"title":"Neuromodulatory signaling contributing to the encoding of aversion.","authors":"Cheng-Hsi Wu, Léa Camelot, Salvatore Lecca, Manuel Mameli","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.04.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.04.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The appropriate and rapid encoding of stimuli bearing a negative valence enables behaviors that are essential for survival. Recent advances in neuroscience using rodents as a model system highlight the relevance of cell type-specific neuronal activities in diverse brain networks for the encoding of aversion, as well as their importance for subsequent behavioral strategies. Within these networks, neuromodulators influence cell excitability, adjust fast synaptic neurotransmission, and affect plasticity, ultimately modulating behaviors. In this review we first discuss contemporary findings leveraging the use of cutting-edge neurotechnologies to define aversion-related neural circuits. The spatial and temporal dynamics of the release of neuromodulators and neuropeptides upon exposure to aversive stimuli are described within defined brain circuits. Together, these mechanistic insights update the present neural framework through which aversion drives motivated behaviors.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"416-429"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143983860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}