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Understanding the brain’s diversity requires spatially resolved maps of transcripts and proteins. Here, the authors construct an integrated molecular atlas of the mouse hippocampus revealing local enrichment profiles and compartmental organization.

The implications of compartmentalization of protein synthesis and distribution within dendrites are not well understood. In this Opinion article, Hanus and Schuman discuss how the morphological complexity of dendrites and specialist regulatory mechanisms influence protein distribution and therefore the synaptic response to activity.

Despite diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, women remain underrepresented as academic leaders in neuroscience. In this Perspective, Bourke, Spanò and Schuman discuss current European initiatives and propose further actions to support women’s career progression in STEM.

The authors describe the second generation of the mutant methionyl tRNA synthetase mouse line, designed to increase mutant enzyme expression, enhance the labeling of nascent proteins and facilitate cell type-specific proteome identification.

In zebrafish, the expression levels of the neuropeptide Pth2 change as exposure to conspecifics is limited or increased, and these changes track the presence of individuals and group density through mechanical stimulations induced by the movements of other fish.

Ribosomes, assembled in the nucleus and perinuclear region, are thought to remain invariant throughout their lifetime. Here the authors document the dynamic association or exchange of ribosomal proteins within mature ribosomes of neuronal cells.

The complex morphology of neurons requires distinctive adaptations for the molecular mechanisms of protein degradation. These are discussed by Tai and Schuman with respect to normal function and dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases.

The set of proteins present at synapses determines their heterogeneous functions and properties. In this Review, van Oostrum and Schuman describe the molecular mechanisms that contribute to the diversity of the synaptic proteome and consider how this molecular complexity can be captured by approaches for synapse classification.

The authors discovered that circular RNAs are significantly enriched in the mouse brain and can be visualized in situ, near synapses. They observed that many circRNAs change their abundance during synaptogenesis and also following neuronal homeostatic plasticity, suggesting a function for circRNA in regulating synaptic development and plasticity.

The biogenesis of nuclear pores imposes a logistic challenge for cells. Here, the authors investigate structural motifs for co-translational interactions in nucleoporins and find that co-translational assembly events differ between paralogous assembly pathways thus contributing to faithful assembly.

A genetically encodable protein synthesis inhibitor (gePSI) for cell-specific inhibition of protein synthesis that is efficient and reversible enables the study of structural plasticity following single-synapse activation in neurons.

It is challenging to characterize diverse transcript isoforms by short-read sequencing. Here the authors report full-length transcriptomes in rat hippocampus by hybrid-sequencing, predict isoform-specific translational status, and reconstruct open reading frames validated by mass spectrometry.

Drebrin is an actin-binding protein known to play a role in neuronal dendritic spines but its precise regulation is unclear. Here, the authors report that DBN is activated by oxidative stress in an ATM-kinase dependent manner and increases resistance to oxidative stress in mice and in C. elegans.

Two assays reveal the birthplace of target proteins. In both, an antibody against a protein is used alongside an antibody that marks recent translation. The close proximity of both antibodies indicates the newly synthesized target protein.

Although explored in the rodent, the relationship between single neuron activity, oscillations and behavioural learning is unknown in humans. Here, successful memory formation in humans was predicted by the coordination of spike timing relative to the local theta oscillation. These data provide a direct connection between the behavioural modulation of oscillations and plasticity within specific circuits.

Proteomes of distinct cell types in the brains of live mice are labeled and quantitated with a genetically encoded non-canonical amino-acid labeling method and click chemistry.

This protocol describes a strategy for cell-specific labeling of nascent proteomes in vivo. Cell-type-specific proteins are tagged with a noncanonical amino acid in live mice and then are subjected to affinity purification and identification by MS.

Numerous proteins in dendrites and axons are synthesized locally. In this Review, the authors summarize current evidence for local mRNA translation in neurons and discuss the neuronal functions shown to be served by this process.

Dieterich et al. describe a methodology to label all newly synthesized neuronal proteins in situ. This method, which they name FUNCAT, relies on the inclusion of noncanonical amino acids and selective fluorescent labeling via click chemistry. The authors show that this system is amenable to dual pulse-chase experiments and dynamic tracking of newly synthesized proteins.

Inflammation-driven synaptic dysfunction is emerging as a prominent pathogenic mechanism in multiple sclerosis (MS). Importantly, synaptic alterations and synaptic loss are potentially reversible, making them potential therapeutic targets. This Review draws on studies in patients with MS and in animal models of the disease to discuss the synaptic alterations in MS and the most promising drugs to restore synaptic function and intervene in the disease progression.