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Syd-1, A Presynaptic Protein With Pdz, C2 And Rhogap-Like Domains, Specifies Axon Identity In C. Elegans, Steven Hallam, Alexandr Goncharov, Jason Mcewen, Renee Baran, Yishi Jin
Syd-1, A Presynaptic Protein With Pdz, C2 And Rhogap-Like Domains, Specifies Axon Identity In C. Elegans, Steven Hallam, Alexandr Goncharov, Jason Mcewen, Renee Baran, Yishi Jin
Renee Baran
Axons are defined by the presence of presynaptic specializations at specific locations. We show here that loss-of-function mutations in the C. elegans gene syd-1 cause presynaptic specializations to form in the dendritic processes of GABA-expressing motor neurons during initial differentiation. At a later developmental stage, however, syd-1 is not required for the polarity respecification of a subset of these neurons. The SYD-1 protein contains PDZ, C2 and rho–GTPase activating protein (GAP)-like domains, and is localized to presynaptic terminals in mature neurons. A truncated SYD-1 that lacks the rhoGAP domain interferes with neurite outgrowth and guidance. Our data indicate that syd-1 …
Getting A Grip On Liprins, Renee Baran, Yishi Jin
Getting A Grip On Liprins, Renee Baran, Yishi Jin
Renee Baran
Two papers in this issue of Neuron add a new dimension to our understanding of liprin and LAR RPTP function during synapse formation. Kaufmann et al. (2002) present evidence that Dliprin-α interacts with Dlar to regulate presynaptic morphogenesis of the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. Wyszynski et al. (2002) demonstrate that mammalian liprin-α1 forms a complex with the PDZ protein GRIP and LAR in both pre- and postsynaptic compartments of hippocampal neurons and is required for the clustering of the GluR2 glutamate receptor in dendritic spines.