title: Modulation of synaptic function through the α-neurexin-specific ligand neurexophilin-1.
abstract: Neurotransmission at different synapses is highly variable, and cell-adhesion molecules like α-neurexins (α-Nrxn) and their extracellular binding partners determine synapse function. Although α-Nrxn affect transmission at excitatory and inhibitory synapses, the contribution of neurexophilin-1 (Nxph1), an α-Nrxn ligand with restricted expression in subpopulations of inhibitory neurons, is unclear. To reveal its role, we investigated mice that either lack or overexpress Nxph1. We found that genetic deletion of Nxph1 impaired GABAB receptor (GABA(B)R)-dependent short-term depression of inhibitory synapses in the nucleus reticularis thalami, a region where Nxph1 is normally expressed at high levels. To test the conclusion that Nxph1 supports presynaptic GABA(B)R, we expressed Nxph1 ectopically at excitatory terminals in the neocortex, which normally do not contain this molecule but can be modulated by GABA(B)R. We generated Nxph1-GFP transgenic mice under control of the Thy1.2 promoter and observed a reduced short-term facilitation at these excitatory synapses, representing an inverse phenotype to the knockout. Consistently, the diminished facilitation could be reversed by pharmacologically blocking GABA(B)R with CGP-55845. Moreover, a complete rescue was achieved by additional blocking of postsynaptic GABA(A)R with intracellular picrotoxin or gabazine, suggesting that Nxph1 is able to recruit or stabilize both presynaptic GABA(B)R and postsynaptic GABA(A)R. In support, immunoelectron microscopy validated the localization of ectopic Nxph1 at the synaptic cleft of excitatory synapses in transgenic mice and revealed an enrichment of GABA(A)R and GABA(B)R subunits compared with wild-type animals. Thus, our data propose that Nxph1 plays an instructive role in synaptic short-term plasticity and the configuration with GABA receptors.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy and Molecular Neurobiology, Westfälische Wilhelms-University, D-48149 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Gesche
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Born
authors.forename: Dorothee
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Breuer
authors.forename: Shaopeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rohlmann
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coulon
authors.forename: Puja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vakili
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reissner
authors.forename: Friedemann
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kiefer
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heine
authors.forename: Hans-Christian
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Pape
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Missler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials; D059330:GABAergic Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007395:Interneurons / Q000378:metabolism; D008024:Ligands; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000378:metabolism; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013788:Thalamus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D008024:Ligands; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B; C112162:neurexophilin
keywords: autism; neuroligin; synaptic transmission; thalamus; ultrastructure