Fuse mitochondria to win peer competition.

In this issue of Neuron , Kochan et al. 1 report that enhanced mitochondrial fusion is essential for the heightened synaptic plasticity in adult-born neurons during the critical period, thus supporting their competition with neurons of similar age for survival. In this issue of Neuron , Kochan et al. report that enhanced mitochondrial fusion is essential for the heightened synaptic plasticity in adult-born neurons during the critical period, thus supporting their competition with neurons of similar age for survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]