The neurexin gene family regulates olfactory glomerular formation

Summary: Precise connectivity between specific neurons is essential for the formation of the complex neural circuitry necessary for executing intricate motor behaviors and higher cognitive functions. While trans interactions between synaptic surface proteins have emerged as crucial elements in orche...

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Main Authors: Sung Jin Park, Namgyu Lee, I-Hao Wang, Hao-Ching Jiang, Thuyvan Luu, Takeshi Uemura, Kensuke Futai, Dohoon Kim, Evan Macosko, Paul Greer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Cell Reports
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124725008964
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author Sung Jin Park
Namgyu Lee
I-Hao Wang
Hao-Ching Jiang
Thuyvan Luu
Takeshi Uemura
Kensuke Futai
Dohoon Kim
Evan Macosko
Paul Greer
author_facet Sung Jin Park
Namgyu Lee
I-Hao Wang
Hao-Ching Jiang
Thuyvan Luu
Takeshi Uemura
Kensuke Futai
Dohoon Kim
Evan Macosko
Paul Greer
author_sort Sung Jin Park
collection DOAJ
description Summary: Precise connectivity between specific neurons is essential for the formation of the complex neural circuitry necessary for executing intricate motor behaviors and higher cognitive functions. While trans interactions between synaptic surface proteins have emerged as crucial elements in orchestrating the assembly of neural circuits, the proteins involved in neuronal wiring remain largely unknown. Here, we uncover that the neurexin family of genes enables olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) axons to form appropriate connections with their mitral/tufted (M/T) cell synaptic partners within the olfactory system. Neurexins, which are differentially expressed within distinct populations of OSNs, synergistically cooperate to regulate axonal sorting to designated glomeruli. This process is facilitated through the interactions of neurexins with their postsynaptic partners, which have distinct expression patterns in M/T cells. Our findings suggest a mechanism underpinning the precise assembly of olfactory neural circuits, driven by the trans interaction between neurexins and their ligands.
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publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Cell Reports
spelling doaj-art-7ac6e86e2f9846c3b590bf16a3d43b4a2025-08-20T04:00:32ZengElsevierCell Reports2211-12472025-08-0144811612510.1016/j.celrep.2025.116125The neurexin gene family regulates olfactory glomerular formationSung Jin Park0Namgyu Lee1I-Hao Wang2Hao-Ching Jiang3Thuyvan Luu4Takeshi Uemura5Kensuke Futai6Dohoon Kim7Evan Macosko8Paul Greer9Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA; Department of Physiology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea; Department of Biomedical Science & Engineering, Dankook University, Cheonan, South Korea; Corresponding authorDepartment of Biomedical Science & Engineering, Dankook University, Cheonan, South KoreaProgram in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USAProgram in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USAProgram in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USADivision of Gene Research, Research Center for Advanced Science, Shinshu University, Nagano, Japan; Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Cutting Edge Research, Shinshu University, Nagano, JapanDepartment of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USADepartment of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USABroad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USAProgram in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA; Corresponding authorSummary: Precise connectivity between specific neurons is essential for the formation of the complex neural circuitry necessary for executing intricate motor behaviors and higher cognitive functions. While trans interactions between synaptic surface proteins have emerged as crucial elements in orchestrating the assembly of neural circuits, the proteins involved in neuronal wiring remain largely unknown. Here, we uncover that the neurexin family of genes enables olfactory sensory neuron (OSN) axons to form appropriate connections with their mitral/tufted (M/T) cell synaptic partners within the olfactory system. Neurexins, which are differentially expressed within distinct populations of OSNs, synergistically cooperate to regulate axonal sorting to designated glomeruli. This process is facilitated through the interactions of neurexins with their postsynaptic partners, which have distinct expression patterns in M/T cells. Our findings suggest a mechanism underpinning the precise assembly of olfactory neural circuits, driven by the trans interaction between neurexins and their ligands.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124725008964CP: Neuroscience
spellingShingle Sung Jin Park
Namgyu Lee
I-Hao Wang
Hao-Ching Jiang
Thuyvan Luu
Takeshi Uemura
Kensuke Futai
Dohoon Kim
Evan Macosko
Paul Greer
The neurexin gene family regulates olfactory glomerular formation
Cell Reports
CP: Neuroscience
title The neurexin gene family regulates olfactory glomerular formation
title_full The neurexin gene family regulates olfactory glomerular formation
title_fullStr The neurexin gene family regulates olfactory glomerular formation
title_full_unstemmed The neurexin gene family regulates olfactory glomerular formation
title_short The neurexin gene family regulates olfactory glomerular formation
title_sort neurexin gene family regulates olfactory glomerular formation
topic CP: Neuroscience
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124725008964
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