Keeping Neurons Young and Foxy: FoxOs Promote Neuronal Plasticity.

Keeping Neurons Young and Foxy: FoxOs Promote Neuronal Plasticity. Trends Genet. 2017 Nov 01;: Authors: McLaughlin CN, Broihier HT Abstract Any adult who has tried to take up the piano or learn a new language is faced with the sobering realization that acquiring such skills is more challenging as an adult than as a child. Neuronal plasticity, or the malleability of brain circuits, declines with age. Young neurons tend to be more adaptable and can alter the size and strength of their connections more readily than can old neurons. Myriad circuit- and synapse-level mechanisms that shape plasticity have been identified. Yet, molecular mechanisms setting the overall competence of young neurons for distinct forms of plasticity remain largely obscure. Recent studies indicate evolutionarily conserved roles for FoxO proteins in establishing the capacity for cell-fate, morphological, and synaptic plasticity in neurons. PMID: 29102406 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29102406?dopt=Abstract

Source: Trends in Genetics : TIG - November 1, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: McLaughlin CN, Broihier HT Tags: Trends Genet Source Type: research