News Neuroscience

Nerve cell miswiring linked to depression

Mouse study identifies gene needed for proper assembly of serotonin circuitry

mouse brain

ALL TANGLED UP  In a healthy mouse (left), nerve cells (white) that release serotonin extend through the hippocampus. But when a specific gene is knocked out, those nerve cell wires clump together (right).

T. Maniatis/Columbia's Zuckerman Institute

By Elizabeth Eaton

- More than 2 years ago

Researchers have pinpointed a gene that keeps important brain cells in mice from crossing their wires, providing a possible link between brain wiring and mood disorders like depression.