An ion channel differentiates newborn and mature neurons in the adult brain

Newborn granule cells show high excitability that disappears as the cells mature. Little has been known about the mechanisms that create low excitability in mature cells or how excitability of the newborn granule cells changes over time. Now researchers have described key roles for G protein-mediated signaling and the late maturation of an ion channel during the differentiation of granule cells.