For the first time, scientists using cryo-electron microscopy have discovered the structure and shape of key receptors connecting neurons in the brain’s cerebellum, which is located behind the brainstem and plays a critical role in functions such as coordinating movement, balance and cognition.
The research, published today in the journal Nature, provides new insight that could lead to the development of therapies to repair these structures when they are disrupted either by injury or genetic mutations affecting learning, memory and motor skills like sitting, standing, walking, running and jumping.