Dendritic spine formation and synaptic function require neurobeachin.

ABSTRACT: A challenge in neuroscience is to understand the mechanisms underlying synapse formation. Most excitatory synapses in the brain are built on spines, which are actin-rich protrusions from dendrites. Spines are a major substrate of brain plasticity, and spine pathologies are observed in various mental illnesses. Here we investigate the role of neurobeachin (Nbea), a multidomain protein previously linked to cases of autism, in synaptogenesis. We show that deletion of Nbea leads to reduced numbers of spinous synapses in cultured neurons from complete knockouts and in cortical tissue from heterozygous mice, accompanied by altered miniature postsynaptic currents. In add

SUBMITTER: Niesmann K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3482631 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature