The molecular identity of cold sensors in peripheral somatosensory neurons remains unclear. Cai et al. report that GluK2, a kainate-type glutamate receptor that mediates synaptic transmission in the brain, is co-opted as a cold sensor in the periphery. The cover art depicts snow and ice adhering to the ends of branches, symbolizing the role of peripheral sensory nerve endings, distant from the soma (shown in the background), as the primary detectors of cold.

See Cai et al.

Within the enigmatic depths of an aquatic universe, divers use flashlights to reveal the hidden contours of an uncharted seabed that teems with wondrous vegetation. In an analogous exploration, Hollunder et al. describe how invasive brain stimulation delivered to deep-seated brain nuclei may act as a beacon. Using deep brain stimulation (DBS), they show that the frontal cortex can be segregated into distinct circuits that become dysfunctional in four different brain disorders. Their topographical map may shed light on more-precise brain-circuit therapeutics.

See Hollunder, et al.

During gestation, childbirth, and the postpartum period, dynamic cortical plasticity occurs in mothers’ brains. Paternina-Die, Martínez-García et al. show decreased cortical thickness during pregnancy, which attenuates after birth. In the cover image, the mantle enveloping the mother with child symbolizes the cortical mantle, and the shape of the woman’s brain resembles a baby, serving as a metaphor for the maternal brain. The pixelation overlaying the baby and the background recreates the MRI voxels. The central figure in the image portrays Dr Paternina-Die, who herself became a first-time mother during the completion of this study.

See Paternina-Die, Martínez-García, et al.

To maximize fitness, most animals adopt an optimal foraging strategy to procure the highest energy at the lowest cost. For example, nighttime is likely to be preferred by nocturnal animals owing to its relative safety from predators and the ease of food availability. In an environment with such periodic food availability, AgRP neurons are entrained by past successful feeding experiences and use this circadian information to promote foraging at similar time windows on subsequent days to maximize the chance of feeding.

See Sayar-Atasoy et al.