Xie Xingqiao, Liang Mingfu, Yu Cong, Wei Zhiyi
Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China.
Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 Mar 19;9:653381. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.653381. eCollection 2021.
Brain's functions, such as memory and learning, rely on synapses that are highly specialized cellular junctions connecting neurons. Functional synapses orchestrate the assembly of ion channels, receptors, enzymes, and scaffold proteins in both pre- and post-synapse. Liprin-α proteins are master scaffolds in synapses and coordinate various synaptic proteins to assemble large protein complexes. The functions of liprin-αs in synapse formation have been largely uncovered by genetic studies in diverse model systems. Recently, emerging structural and biochemical studies on liprin-α proteins and their binding partners begin to unveil the molecular basis of the synaptic assembly. This review summarizes the recent structural findings on liprin-αs, proposes the assembly mechanism of liprin-α-mediated complexes, and discusses the liprin-α-organized assemblies in the regulation of synapse formation and function.
大脑的功能，如记忆和学习，依赖于突触，突触是连接神经元的高度特化的细胞连接。功能性突触协调突触前和突触后离子通道、受体、酶和支架蛋白的组装。Liprin-α蛋白是突触中的主要支架，协调各种突触蛋白组装成大型蛋白复合物。在各种模型系统中的遗传学研究很大程度上揭示了Liprin-α在突触形成中的功能。最近，关于Liprin-α蛋白及其结合伙伴的新兴结构和生化研究开始揭示突触组装的分子基础。本综述总结了Liprin-α的最新结构发现，提出了Liprin-α介导的复合物的组装机制，并讨论了Liprin-α组织的组装在突触形成和功能调节中的作用。
