title: The SynCAM synaptic cell adhesion molecules are involved in sensory axon pathfinding by regulating axon-axon contacts.
abstract: Synaptic cell adhesion molecules (SynCAMs) are crucial for synapse formation and plasticity. However, we have previously demonstrated that SynCAMs are also required during earlier stages of neural circuit formation because SynCAM1 and SynCAM2 (also known as CADM1 and CADM2, respectively) are important for the guidance of post-crossing commissural axons. In contrast to the exclusively homophilic cis-interactions reported by previous studies, our previous in vivo results suggested the existence of heterophilic cis-interactions between SynCAM1 and SynCAM2. Indeed, as we show here, the presence of homophilic and heterophilic cis-interactions modulates the interaction of SynCAMs with trans-binding partners, as observed previously for other immunoglobulin superfamily cell adhesion molecules. These in vitro findings are in agreement with results from in vivo studies, which demonstrate a role for SynCAMs in the formation of sensory neural circuits in the chicken embryo. In the absence of SynCAMs, selective axon-axon interactions are perturbed resulting in aberrant pathfinding of sensory axons.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Life Sciences and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jeannine A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Frei
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Life Sciences and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Irwin
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Andermatt
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Life Sciences and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gesemann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Life Sciences and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland esther.stoeckli@imls.uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Esther T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Stoeckli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000378:metabolism*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000378:metabolism; D020439:Growth Cones / Q000378:metabolism; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D016501:Neurites / Q000378:metabolism; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal
keywords: CADM; Cis interaction; Immunoglobulin superfamily; In ovo RNAi; Neural circuit formation; SynCAM