A story of layers. The (proper) functioning of the brain results from the rigorous arrangement of billions of nerve cells. The cerebral cortex, for example, is organized in layers, which connect each neuron to different partners, “thus optimizing the efficiency of information processing”. The team from the MCD-CNRS laboratory in Toulouse studied how layers of neurons are formed in flies, and why they were so important in establishing appropriate connections.
“The Sticky Secrets of the Brain”
Scientists discovered that two molecules, Beat and Side, played a critical role as neuronal adhesive labels. Present on the surface of neurons, they allow them to stick to the right partners, at the appropriate layer. Clearly, they are a kind of molecular tape, crucial in layered organization and neuronal connectivity.
While the researchers conclude that Beat and Side are not essential for the formation of connections, they indicate that they facilitate cellular proximity, by “organizing neurons into layers”, and ensuring that “cells are close enough to making connections.”
New research opportunities in humans?
The study, carried out on the vision system of flies, could be extended to the human brain, and allow us to understand new things about it. The results, published in the journal Developmental Cell, reveal new “fundamental rules of brain organization”, and open the way to a better understanding of the early stages of neuronal development.
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