It has been 25 years since the identification of two proteins that facilitate communication between nerve cells — a significant achievement that revealed a group of related proteins. In recognition of this advancement, The Journal of Biological Chemistry has published a series of articles that assess what we know about each family member in this group and where that research is headed.

The formation of mammalian sperm involves a complex developmental process. In a recent review in the Journal of Lipid Research, Simon Horvat at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia and colleagues discuss the dramatic changes that take place in membrane lipid composition during spermatogenesis.

A diagnosis for clinical depression is based on psychiatric reviews, which can be subjective. In a paper in Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, Chinese researchers described a test that could objectively diagnose the illness.