title: Temporally distinct demands for classic cadherins in synapse formation and maturation.
abstract: Classic cadherins are synaptic adhesion proteins that have been implicated in synapse formation and targeting. Brief inactivation of classic cadherin function in young neurons appears to abrogate synapse formation when examined acutely. It remains unknown if such abrogation is unique to young neurons, whether it occurs by stalling neuronal maturation or by directly interfering with the process of synapse assembly, or whether synapse targeting is altered. Here we asked if sustained pan-cadherin blockade would prevent or alter the progression of axonal and dendritic outgrowth, synaptogenesis, or the stereotypic distribution of excitatory and inhibitory synapses on cultured hippocampal neurons. While pre- and postsynaptic cadherins are required for synapse assembly in young neurons, we find that in neurons older than 10 days, classic cadherins are entirely dispensable for joining and aligning presynaptic vesicle clusters with molecular markers of the postsynaptic density. Furthermore, we find that the proportion and relative distributions of excitatory and inhibitory terminals on single neurons are not altered. However, synapses that form on neurons in which cadherin function is blocked are smaller; they exhibit decreased synaptic vesicle recycling and a decreased frequency of spontaneous EPSCs. Moreover, they fail to acquire resistance to F-actin depolymerization, a hallmark of mature, stable contacts. These data provide new evidence that cadherins are required to promote synapse stabilization and structural and functional maturation, but dispensable for the correct subcellular distribution of excitatory and inhibitory synapses.
authors.affiliation: Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA.
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bozdagi
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valcin
authors.forename: Kira
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Poskanzer
authors.forename: Hidekazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Deanna L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Benson
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000235:genetics; D019556:COS Cells; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003712:Dendrites / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013570:Synaptic Membranes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D013572:Synaptic Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013997:Time Factors; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014981:Xenopus; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; C495266:CTNNB1 protein, Xenopus; C495267:CTNNB1 protein, mouse; D015820:Cadherins; C495268:Ctnnb1 protein, rat; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D051176:beta Catenin