Key Protein for Brain Function Identified by Scientists

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Key Protein for Brain Function Identified by Scientists

Published March 14, 2011

EDINBURGH – A key protein that helps the brain transmit information was

identified by British researchers, who said it could improve our understanding

of neurodegenerative disorders.

The crucial protein maintains the function of nerve fibers that control the

transmission of messages within the brain and allows it to communicate with

other parts of the body, University of Edinburgh scientists said Sunday.

The fibers can measure up to a3.3 feet, but the area covered by the segment of

nerve that controls the transmission of messages is no bigger than the width of

a human hair, said the researchers, whose work was published in the journal

Neuron.

Electrical impulses from the brain are disrupted in people who suffer from

epilepsy, dementia, multiple sclerosis and strokes, which can lead to muscle

wastage and an inability to control movement.

" At any moment, tens of thousands of electrical impulses are transmitting

messages between nerve cells in our brains, " said Dr. Nolan, of the

university's Center for Integrative Physiology. " Identifying proteins that are

critical for the precise initiation of these impulses will help unravel the

complexities of how brains work and may lead to new insights into how brains

evolved. "

Professor Brophy, director of the university's Center for

Neuroregeneration, said, " Knowing more about how signals in the brain work will

help us better understand neurodegenerative disorders and why, when these

illnesses strike, the brain can no longer send signals to parts of the body. "

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