Pan-neurexin perturbation results in compromised synapse stability and a reduction in readily releasable synaptic vesicle pool size.

ABSTRACT: Neurexins are a diverse family of cell adhesion molecules that localize to presynaptic specializations of CNS neurons. Heterologous expression of neurexins in non-neuronal cells leads to the recruitment of postsynaptic proteins in contacting dendrites of co-cultured neurons, implicating neurexins in synapse formation. However, isoform-specific knockouts of either all α- or all β-neurexins show defects in synaptic transmission but an unaltered density of glutamatergic synapses, a finding that argues against an essential function of neurexins in synaptogenesis. To address the role of neurexin in synapse formation and function, we disrupted the function of all α- and β-neurexins in cultured hippocampal neurons by shRNA knockdown or by overexpressing a neurexin mutant that is unable to bind to

SUBMITTER: Quinn DP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5318902 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature