| First Author | Perez de Arce K | Year | 2015 |
| Journal | Neuron | Volume | 88 |
| Issue | 6 | Pages | 1165-1172 |
| PubMed ID | 26687224 | Mgi Jnum | J:263453 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6189475 | Doi | 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.11.011 |
| Citation | Perez de Arce K, et al. (2015) Topographic Mapping of the Synaptic Cleft into Adhesive Nanodomains. Neuron 88(6):1165-1172 |
| abstractText | The cleft is an integral part of synapses, yet its macromolecular organization remains unclear. We show here that the cleft of excitatory synapses exhibits a distinct density profile as measured by cryoelectron tomography (cryo-ET). Aiming for molecular insights, we analyzed the synapse-organizing proteins Synaptic Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 (SynCAM 1) and EphB2. Cryo-ET of SynCAM 1 knockout and overexpressor synapses showed that this immunoglobulin protein shapes the cleft's edge. SynCAM 1 delineates the postsynaptic perimeter as determined by immunoelectron microscopy and super-resolution imaging. In contrast, the EphB2 receptor tyrosine kinase is enriched deeper within the postsynaptic area. Unexpectedly, SynCAM 1 can form ensembles proximal to postsynaptic densities, and synapses containing these ensembles were larger. Postsynaptic SynCAM 1 surface puncta were not static but became enlarged after a long-term depression paradigm. These results support that the synaptic cleft is organized on a nanoscale into sub-compartments marked by distinct trans-synaptic complexes. |
