Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Neurogenesis and Regeneration of Nervous Tissue

Neurogenesis and Regeneration of Nervous Tissue

In the CNS, neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons from stem cells, is limited to the hippocampus in adults. In other regions of the brain and spinal cord, neurogenesis is almost non-existent due to inhibitory influences from neuroglia, especially oligodendrocytes, and the absence of growth-stimulating cues. The myelin produced by oligodendrocytes in the CNS inhibits neuronal regeneration. Furthermore, astrocytes proliferate rapidly after neuronal damage, forming scar tissue that physically...

Long-term Potentiation

Long-term Potentiation

Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Hebbian LTP
LTP can occur when...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Myelin basic protein is an RNA chaperone in microglial nuclear retro-transport.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Th17 effector cytokines induce shared and distinct microglial and endothelial cell responses in post-streptococcal encephalitis.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Multi-modal choroid plexus pathology in aging and Alzheimer's disease.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Lymphoid gene expression supports neuroprotective microglia function.

Nature·2025

Same author

A glial circadian gene expression atlas reveals cell-type and disease-specific reprogramming in response to amyloid pathology or aging.

Nature neuroscience·2025

Same author

Aging in mice alters regionally enriched striatal astrocytes.

Nature communications·2025

Same journal

Lactate binds and inhibits the innate immune sensor STING to promote tumor immune evasion.

Immunity·2026

Same journal

Antibody binding geometry and affinity control inhibitory hFcγRIIB receptor signaling.

Immunity·2026

Same journal

Targeting immune cells in the aged brain reveals that engineered cytokine IL-10 enhances neurogenesis and improves cognition.

Immunity·2026

Same journal

The transcription factor Eomes drives a stemness program in CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells that promotes anti-tumor immunity in response to immunotherapy.

Immunity·2026

Same journal

Stem-like precursors of exhausted Th cells upheld by a Tox-Myb-Eomes transcriptional hierarchy propagate Th cell responses in chronic infection.

Immunity·2026

Same journal

Monocytic niches escape T cell surveillance and promote Mycobacterium tuberculosis persistence in lymph nodes.

Immunity·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 13, 2025

Quantifying Synapses: an Immunocytochemistry-based Assay to Quantify Synapse Number

Quantifying Synapses: an Immunocytochemistry-based Assay to Quantify Synapse Number

Published on: November 16, 2010

IL-6 boosts synaptogenesis STAT!

Travis E Faust¹, Dorothy P Schafer¹

¹Department of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.

|November 10, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Maternal infection during pregnancy may increase neurodevelopmental disorder risk. A study shows the cytokine IL-6 promotes synapse formation in developing neurons via STAT3 signaling, offering insights into neural circuit development.

More Related Videos

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse

Published on: December 26, 2019

Inducing Dendritic Growth in Cultured Sympathetic Neurons

Inducing Dendritic Growth in Cultured Sympathetic Neurons

Published on: March 21, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 13, 2025

Quantifying Synapses: an Immunocytochemistry-based Assay to Quantify Synapse Number

Quantifying Synapses: an Immunocytochemistry-based Assay to Quantify Synapse Number

Published on: November 16, 2010

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse

Imaging the Human Immunological Synapse

Published on: December 26, 2019

Inducing Dendritic Growth in Cultured Sympathetic Neurons

Inducing Dendritic Growth in Cultured Sympathetic Neurons

Published on: March 21, 2012

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Immunology
Developmental Biology

Background:

Maternal infections during pregnancy are linked to offspring neurodevelopmental disorders.
The precise mechanisms by which cytokines like IL-6 influence neural circuit development remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate how the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 affects neural circuit development in offspring exposed to maternal infection.
To identify the molecular pathways through which IL-6 impacts neuronal development.

Main Methods:

Investigated the role of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) in a mouse model of maternal infection.
Utilized molecular and cellular techniques to examine synaptogenesis in developing neurons.
Analyzed STAT3-dependent gene expression, focusing on Regulator of G-protein signaling 4 (Rgs4).

Main Results:

The pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 was found to specifically enhance synaptogenesis in immature excitatory neurons.
This effect was mediated by downstream neuronal STAT3-dependent transcriptional regulation.
The gene Rgs4 was identified as a key target in this pathway.

Conclusions:

IL-6 plays a critical role in modulating synaptogenesis during early neural development.
STAT3 signaling in neurons is a key mediator of IL-6's effects on synapse formation.
Understanding these mechanisms provides potential targets for mitigating risks associated with maternal infection.