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Neuronal and non-neuronal functions of the synaptic cell adhesion molecule neurexin in Nematostella vectensis.

Christine GuzmanKurato MohriRyotaro NakamuraMinato MiyakeYuko TsuchiyaKentaro TomiiHiroshi Watanabe
Published in: Nature communications (2024)
The evolutionary transition from diffusion-mediated cell-cell communication to faster, targeted synaptic signaling in animal nervous systems is still unclear. Genome sequencing analyses have revealed a widespread distribution of synapse-related genes among early-diverging metazoans, but how synaptic machinery evolved remains largely unknown. Here, we examine the function of neurexins (Nrxns), a family of presynaptic cell adhesion molecules with critical roles in bilaterian chemical synapses, using the cnidarian model, Nematostella vectensis. Delta-Nrxns are expressed mainly in neuronal cell clusters that exhibit both peptidergic and classical neurotransmitter signaling. Knockdown of δ-Nrxn reduces spontaneous peristalsis of N. vectensis polyps. Interestingly, gene knockdown and pharmacological studies suggest that δ-Nrxn is involved in glutamate- and glycine-mediated signaling rather than peptidergic signaling. Knockdown of the epithelial α-Nrxn reveals a major role in cell adhesion between ectodermal and endodermal epithelia. Overall, this study provides molecular, functional, and cellular insights into the pre-neural function of Nrxns, as well as key information for understanding how and why they were recruited to the synaptic machinery.
Keyphrases
  • cell adhesion
  • single cell
  • cell therapy
  • genome wide
  • stem cells
  • cerebral ischemia
  • gene expression
  • mesenchymal stem cells
  • transcription factor
  • copy number
  • brain injury