The Slitrk family comprises six vertebrate members (Slitrk1-6) that are highly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), where they modulate neurite outgrowth. In humans, Slitrk1-6 are neuronal transmembrane proteins and are key synapse organizers at neuronal synapses through interactions with specific members of the presynaptic type IIa receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase (RPTP) family []. They contain two consecutive extracellular LRR modules, LRR1 and LRR2, and a single transmembrane domain, followed by an intracellular domain that is homologous to Trks. Mutations in human SLITRKs have been implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including Tourette's syndrome, schizophrenia, trichotillomania and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) []. Slitrk1 and Slitrk2 have been shown to regulate synapse formation between hippocampal neurons [].
