Macro Roles for MicroRNAs in the Life and Death of Neurons
The discovery of microRNAs has revealed an unexpected and spectacular additional level of fine tuning of the genome and how genes are used again and again in different combinations to generate the complexity that underlies for instance the brain. Since th
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Bart de Strooper
l
Yves Christen
Editors
Macro Roles for MicroRNAs in the Life and Death of Neurons
Editors Dr. Bart de Strooper KULeuven and VIB Center Human Genetics Lab. Neuronal Cell Biology Herestraat 49 3000 Leuven Campus Gasthuisberg 6 Belgium [email protected]
Dr. Yves Christen Fondation IPSEN pour la Recherche Therapeutique 65 quai George Gorse 92650 Boulogne Billancourt Cedex France [email protected]
ISSN: 0945-6082 ISBN: 978-3-642-04297-3 e-ISBN: 978-3-642-04298-0 DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-04298-0 Springer Heidelberg Dordrecht London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2009939121 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Violations are liable to prosecution under the German Copyright Law. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Cover design: WMXDesign GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Foreword
The discovery of microRNAs has revealed an unexpected and spectacular additional level of fine tuning of the genome and how genes are used again and again in different combinations to generate the complexity that underlies for instance the brain. Since the initial studies performed in C.elegans, we gave gone a far way to begin to understand how microRNA pathways can have an impact on health and disease in human. Although microRNAs are abundantly expressed in the brain, relatively little is known about the multiple functions of these RNA molecules in the nervous system. Nevertheless, we know already that microRNA pathways play major roles in the proliferation, differentiation, function and maintenance of neuronal cells. Several intriguing studies have linked microRNAs as major regulators of the neuronal phenotype, and have implicated specific microRNAs in the regulation of synapse formation and plasticity. Dysfunction of microRNA pathways is also slowly emerging as a potential important contributor to the pathogenesis of major neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. These novel insights appear to be particular promising for the understanding of the very frequent and badly understood sporadic forms of these diseases as compared to the genetic forms. Thus,
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