Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

Preparation of Synaptic Plasma Membrane and Postsynaptic Density Proteins Using a Discontinuous Sucrose Gradient
Published on: September 3, 2014
Synaptic specificity is generated by the synaptic guidepost protein SYG-2 and its receptor, SYG-1
Kang Shen1, Richard D Fetter, Cornelia I Bargmann
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Anatomy, The University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
Abstract:
Synaptic connections in the nervous system are directed onto specific cellular and subcellular targets. Synaptic guidepost cells in the C. elegans vulval epithelium drive synapses from the HSNL motor neuron onto adjacent target neurons and muscles. Here, we show that the transmembrane immunoglobulin superfamily protein SYG-2 is a central component of the synaptic guidepost signal. SYG-2 is expressed transiently by primary vulval epithelial cells during synapse formation. SYG-2 binds SYG-1, the receptor on HSNL, and directs SYG-1 accumulation and synapse formation to adjacent regions of HSNL. syg-1 and syg-2 mutants have defects in synaptic specificity; the HSNL neuron forms fewer synapses onto its normal targets and forms ectopic synapses onto inappropriate targets. Misexpression of SYG-2 in secondary epithelial cells causes aberrant accumulation of SYG-1 and synaptic markers in HSNL adjacent to the SYG-2-expressing cells. Our results indicate that local interactions between immunoglobulin superfamily proteins can determine specificity during synapse formation.
More Related Videos
07:51Inhibitory Synapse Formation in a Co-culture Model Incorporating GABAergic Medium Spiny Neurons and HEK293 Cells Stably Expressing GABAA Receptors
Published on: November 14, 2014
09:33An Optical Assay for Synaptic Vesicle Recycling in Cultured Neurons Overexpressing Presynaptic Proteins
Published on: June 26, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Synaptic Signaling
The Synapse
Synaptic Signaling
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
Chemical Synapses
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Chemical Synapses
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
Postsynaptic Potential (PSP)
There are two types of receptors: ionotropic and metabotropic.
The ionotropic receptor is the membrane protein that has an...