Cadherin-based transsynaptic networks in establishing and modifying neural connectivity
Lauren G Friedman1, Deanna L Benson1, George W Huntley1
1Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA.
Current Topics in Developmental Biology
|March 4, 2015
Summary
Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), specifically cadherins, are crucial for brain development. In mature brains, cadherins regulate synaptic signaling, plasticity, and cognitive function, offering insights into brain disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are vital for neural development, circuit formation, and synaptic connections.
- The roles of CAMs in mature brain structure and function are less understood.
- The cadherin family of CAMs plays multifaceted roles throughout neural development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the established roles of cadherins in neural development.
- To highlight emerging evidence on the functions of cadherins in the mature brain.
- To explore the evolving roles of cadherins in synaptic signaling, plasticity, and cognition.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of cadherin functions in neural development.
- Analysis of recent data on mature synapse cadherin roles.
- Examination of cadherin interactions within multiprotein networks at synapses.
Main Results:
- Cadherins are largely dispensable for maintaining mature neuronal and synaptic structure.
- Cadherins exhibit critical roles in regulating dynamic synaptic signaling and structural plasticity in mature synapses.
- Cadherins are integral components of multiprotein networks, interacting with receptors and scaffolding proteins.
Conclusions:
- Synaptic cadherin functions evolve with brain maturity, shifting from structural roles to regulating dynamic synaptic processes.
- Understanding these evolving roles is key to elucidating the pathophysiology of cadherin-associated brain disorders.
- Cadherins are critical regulators of cognitive function and synaptic plasticity in the adult brain.
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