Issue Cover (March 2021)

Front cover: The protein Reelin is an ancient molecule, which is best known for its role in controlling layer formation during embryonic development of the cerebral cortex. Though Reelin is also involved in synaptic function, a clear physiological Reelin function in the postnatal cerebral cortex has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we provide evidence for a physiological function of Reelin in cortical network maturation and function. By genetically inducing Reelin deficiency after embryonic cortical development, we show that Reelin ensures proper neuronal activity in the neocortex. Thus, Reelin deficiency after cortical layer formation resulted in excessive Ca 2+ spike frequency. Modulation of GABA B receptor function by Reelin reveals a novel physiological role for Reelin in the regulation of inhibitory network homeostasis and cortical function. Image Content : Confocal image of an interneuron transfected with GCaMP6s from mouse cortex at P14. The cell is represented in pseudocolour to show the three‐dimensional projection of the dendritic tree, soma and axon. The soma and proximal dendrites are pseudocoloured in yellow, the distal dendrites are in green, cyan and orange and the axon is in purple‐blue. This type of neuron was used to measure calcium signals in acute slice.Read the full article   ‘Reelin signaling modulates GABA B receptor function in the neocortex’ by M. I. K. Hamad, A. Jbara, O. Rabaya, P. Petrova, S. Daoud, N. Melliti, M. Meseke, D. Lutz, E. Petrasch‐Parwez, J. C. Schwitalla, M. D. Mark, S. Herlitze, G. Reiss, J. Herz and E. Förster ( J. Neurochem . 2021, vol. 156 (5), pp. 589–603) on doi: 10.1111/jnc.14990