Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin Torino, Italy.
Front Cell Neurosci. 2013 Apr 4;7:35. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2013.00035. eCollection 2013.
Neurexins (Nrxs) have emerged as potential determinants of synaptic specificity, but little is known about their localization at central synapses. Here we show that Nrxs have a remarkably selective localization at distinct types of glutamatergic synapses and we reveal an unexpected ontogenetic regulation of Nrx expression at GABAergic synapses. Our data indicate that synapses are specified by molecular interactions that involve both Nrx-dependent and Nrx-independent mechanisms. We propose that differences in the spatio-temporal profile of Nrx expression may contribute to specify the molecular identity of synapses.
神经连接蛋白（Nrxs）已成为突触特异性的潜在决定因素，但它们在中枢突触中的定位知之甚少。本文表明，Nrxs 在不同类型的谷氨酸能突触中有显著的选择性定位，并揭示了 GABA 能突触中 Nrx 表达的意外发育调控。研究数据表明，突触的特异性由涉及 Nrx 依赖和非 Nrx 依赖机制的分子相互作用决定。我们提出，Nrx 表达的时空特征差异可能有助于确定突触的分子特征。
