The Perils of Navigating Activity-Dependent Alternative Splicing of Neurexins.

ABSTRACT: Neurexins are presynaptic cell-adhesion molecules essential for synaptic function that are expressed in thousands of alternatively spliced isoforms. Recent studies suggested that alternative splicing at splice site 4 (SS4) of Nrxn1 is tightly regulated by an activity-dependent mechanism. Given that Nrxn1 alternative splicing at SS4 controls NMDA-receptor-mediated synaptic responses, activity-dependent SS4 alternative splicing would suggest a new synaptic plasticity mechanism. However, conflicting results confound the assessment of neurexin alternative splicing, prompting us to re-evaluate this issue. We find that in cortical cultures, membrane depolarization by elevated extracellular K⁺-concentrations produced an apparent shift in Nrxn1-SS4 alternative splicing by inducing neuro

SUBMITTER: Liakath-Ali K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7985251 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature