15 Years of Neuron Cell Biology

the impact of molecular biology in neuronal cell biology has been steadily growing in the past couple of decades and is now an indispensable tool that is available to any Introduction A lot has happened in the world since the first issue of interested investigator. The ability to clone, express, and mutate specific proteins in neurons is the bread-and-Neuron hit the newsstands in March, 1988. At that time, Ronald Reagan was the fortieth president of the United butter of the field, its power so mundane that it barely registers in the consciousness or in Experimental Proce-States, and another year and a half would pass before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Linda Ronstadt, Prince, and dures. Less predictable fifteen years ago was the sequencing Guns N' Roses were popular, and Michael Jackson was No. 1 on the US singles chart. The Dow Jones Industrial of the genomes of Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, human, mouse, and other species, which defined entire Average (now ‫)0059ف‬ stood at 2100. Like the stock market, neuroscience has taken off catalogs of genes underlying whole organisms, not just neurons. This is akin to finding out the earth is round during the fifteen years of Neuron's existence. Inherently a holistic but multidisciplinary subject, neuroscience has and finite. Now at least we know the extent of the geography we are exploring, even though large areas are seen breathtaking advances in all of its aspects. But nowhere has the progress been greater than in neuronal unvisited. Armed with this knowledge, molecular and cellular neurobiologists can now concentrate on the job cell biology, the subfield of neuroscience that deals with the structure and function of neurons at the molecular of characterizing the structures, functions, and interactions of specific genes (‫000,03ف‬ in mammals, of which and cellular level. This area was a major focus of the journal Neuron at its inception, and it is now the subject probably at least half are expressed in the brain), rather than trying to seek the edge of the world. of review in this special issue celebrating Neuron's fif-teenth birthday. Location Technology In cell biology, as opposed to biochemistry, the three One way to measure the progress in neuroscience is to dimensions of space (" location, location, location ") are consider how much more demanding the requirements of critical importance. Neurons exemplify this principle have become for publication in a journal like Neuron. with their gorgeously …