Molecular Mechanisms and Pathways in Cerebellar Function Volume II

This Research Topic is the second volume of "Molecular Mechanisms and Pathways in Cerebellar Function". Please see the first volume here.The cerebellum is a highly organized brain region that integrates sensory, motor, and cognitive information through precisely wired neural circuits. Beyond its established role in voluntary movement coordination and motor learning, the cerebellum is increasingly recognized as a critical contributor to higher-order functions, including language, attention, emotional regulation, and social cognition. This functional breadth depends on the coordinated activity of diverse cerebellar cell types, including Purkinje cells, granule cells, molecular layer interneurons, deep cerebellar nuclei neurons, and Bergmann glia, whose development, connectivity, and plasticity are governed by tightly regulated molecular signaling pathways. Disruption of these pathways is implicated in a wide range of neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions, including cerebellar ataxias, autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and medulloblastoma, underscoring the importance of understanding cerebellar molecular biology in both health and disease.This Research Topic aims to highlight the latest advances in our understanding of the key molecules and signaling pathways that drive cerebellar development, maturation, circuit function, and dysfunction. We welcome studies that dissect how intracellular signaling cascades, transcriptional programs, cell–cell communication, and activity-dependent mechanisms shape cerebellar architecture and neural output. By integrating molecular and cellular perspectives with systems-level approaches, this collection seeks to build our undertstanding of how cerebellar signaling networks operate and how their disruption gives rise to defined pathological phenotypes, ultimately informing the identification of novel therapeutic targets for severe brain disorders.We encourage the submission of original research, methods articles, perspectives, and reviews employing biochemical, genetic, electrophysiological, imaging, and computational approaches, including studies using genetically engineered model organisms, patient-derived tissues, and advanced in vitro systems such as cerebellar organoids. Contributions that connect molecular or signaling pathway alterations to defined cellular, synaptic, circuit-level, or behavioral outcomes are particularly valued.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• Molecular and cellular mechanisms governing cerebellar development, cell-type specification, and circuit assembly• Signaling pathways that regulate cerebellar plasticity and function, including neurotrophic, Wnt, Notch, Shh, and calcium-dependent cascades.• Roles of transcription factors, chromatin regulators, and non-coding RNAs in cerebellar gene expression programs• Molecular basis of synaptic transmission, long-term depression, and other forms of cerebellar plasticity• Cell–cell signaling between Purkinje cells, granule cells, interneurons, deep nuclei neurons, and glia• Molecular drivers of cerebellar dysfunction in ataxia, neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegeneration, and brain tumors• Genetic and pharmacological modulation of cerebellar signaling pathways as potential therapeutic strategies Topic editors: Catarina Osorio, Samuel Stuart McAfee Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80362/molecular-mechanisms-and-pathways-in-cerebellar-function-volume-ii