Axons

Recent articles

A research image of a mouse hippocampus

Some social issues in DYRK1A model mice stem from faulty inhibitory circuits

Alterations in inhibitory circuits and difficulties in social recognition characterize mice missing one copy of DYRK1A, a gene linked to autism.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
11 October 2023 | 4 min read
Research image of presynapses on sensory neurons in fruit flies.

UBE3A’s link to synaptic pruning bolstered by fly study

Increasing or reducing the levels of the UBE3A gene, which is associated with autism and autism-related syndromes, results in altered patterns of synaptic pruning — a process that snips away brain cell connections.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
28 September 2023 | 5 min read

Repurposed electronics lens spies neurons across entire mouse brain

When combined with tissue-inflation methods, the microscope can image axons without the need for tissue slicing, the researchers say.

By Holly Barker
14 July 2023 | 5 min listen

Autism’s ties to the cell skeleton

Many genes related to the condition play a role in the internal scaffolding of cells, and cytoskeletal disruptions can affect neurodevelopment and behavior.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
22 June 2023 | 7 min read
A hand lifts a line graph off of a page and into the air.

Nerve regeneration paper retracted over faked data

The paper marks the second retraction for one of the co-authors.

By Brendan Borrell
24 May 2023 | 4 min read

Wiring map reveals how larval fruit fly brain converts sensory signals to movement

The map diagrams more than half a million neuronal connections in the first complete connectome of Drosophila and holds clues about which brain architectures best support learning.

By Laura Dattaro
9 March 2023 | 5 min listen
Research image showing the presence of several proteins in neurons.

Protein networks identified in autism-linked genetic deletion

The OTUD7A gene, which may account for some traits in people missing a segment of chromosome 15, appears to interact with several known autism-linked genes.

By Jef Akst
28 February 2023 | 6 min read
Lab images of cilia.

Autism and the cell’s antennae

Many autism-linked genes are somehow tied to cilia, the tiny hair-like sensors that stud a cell’s surface. But the question remains whether, and how, cilia differences contribute to the condition.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
4 January 2023 | 6 min read
lllustration of the junction between two nerve cells.

Multi-omics study captures CNTNAP2’s far-ranging effects

The in-depth approach shows mutations in the autism-linked gene disrupt neuronal growth and communication, as well as mitochondrial gene expression.

By Charles Q. Choi
8 December 2022 | 4 min read
A cross-section of the human brain and limbic system

Amygdala-linked brain areas grow differently in autism

The growth differences vary between autistic boys and girls and are most apparent among children with prominent social difficulties.

By Charles Q. Choi
13 July 2022 | 5 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of lines of text being distorted by red orbs.

This paper changed my life: ‘A massively parallel architecture for a self-organizing neural pattern recognition machine,’ by Carpenter and Grossberg

This paper taught me that we can use mathematical modeling to understand how neural networks are organized—and led me to a doctoral program in the department led by its authors.

By Luiz Pessoa
6 January 2025 | 3 min read
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Eli Sennesh talks about bridging predictive coding and NeuroAI

Predictive coding is an enticing theory of brain function. Building on decades of models and experimental work, Eli Sennesh proposes a biologically plausible way our brain might implement it.

By Paul Middlebrooks
3 January 2025 | 98 min listen
A disembodied arm holds a megaphone.

In your New Year’s resolutions for 2025, consider public outreach

If every person in the neuroscience community committed to doing one thing, imagine the cumulative difference it would make.

By Nicole Rust
3 January 2025 | 8 min read