Dr. Hiroshi Watanabe, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan
Dr. Hiroshi Watanabe, Associate Professor at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University, will present: " Functional and proteomic analysis of the synaptic cell adhesion molecule Neurexins in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis"
Hovedinnhold
Chemical synapses constitute one of the principal modes of network-dependent signaling in nervous systems, and their establishment represents a pivotal step in animal evolution. However, how ancestral neural signaling transitioned from diffusion-based communication to the highly targeted mode of synaptic transmission remains poorly understood.
Many genes associated with synaptic function in bilaterians are conserved across nonbilaterians. Yet, their roles in these early-branching lineages remain largely unknown, hindering our understanding of the early evolutionary trajectory of synaptic organization. A defining feature that distinguishes chemical synaptic signaling from diffusion-based communication is the establishment of precise cell–cell contacts between presynaptic and postsynaptic cells. The formation of the synaptic contacts depends on synaptic adhesion molecules (SAMs). Among these, neurexins (Nrxns) are well characterized as major presynaptic SAM that play essential roles in chemical synapses in bilaterians.
In this seminar, I will present recent findings on Nrxns in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis. Data showing genetic repertoire, functional properties, and predicted complex composition of nonbilaterian Nrxns may provide new insights into the evolutionary origins of he molecular basis of synaptic machinery.
