Biochemical Purification of Binding Partners of Synaptic Scaffold Proteins

The chemical synapse displays specialized intercellular adhesion between pre- and potsynaptic plasma membranes mediated by synaptic cell adhesion proteins. In this asymmetric cell adhesion, pre- and postsynapses have their own unique functions; the presynaptic terminal releases neurotransmitter, which diffuses through the synaptic cleft and is received by receptors accumulated at the postsynapse. Such distinct modes of actions of pre- and postsynapses in synaptic neurotransmission are the rate-limiting factors in signal processing in the brain, and thus protein-protein interactions within the pre- and postsynaptic scaffold are of particular importance for brain function by regulating the pre- and postsynaptic function. In the present paper, we outline a method to screen for binding partners of synaptic scaffold proteins biochemically.