Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology
Author: IVAN SERVIN BERNAL | Email: ivanserber.ibcn@gmail.com
IVAN SERVIN BERNAL1°, ANA PAULA DE VINCENTI1°, FERNANDA LEDDA2°, GUSTAVO PARATCHA1°
1° Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias (IBCN)-CONICET-UBA, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires
2° Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires (IIBBA)-CONICET, Fundación Instituto Leloir
Dendrite size and morphology are key determinants of the functional properties of
neurons, and brain disorders are due primarily to structural abnormalities of dendrites
and their connections. Distinct leucine-rich repeat (LRR) transmembrane proteins are
highly expressed in the brain, especially in the hippocampus, where they play a critical
role in the organization and function of neural circuits, regulating neurotrophin
signaling, coordinating the assembly of pre- and postsynaptic compartments during
excitatory and inhibitory synapse formation and regulating synaptic plasticity.
The LRR protein Lrig1 has attracted the spotlight as essential regulator of neurotrophin
signaling and dendrite arborization of hippocampal neurons. Despite this evidence, the
physiological contribution of Lrig2 family member for neuronal development remains
poorly understood. In search for specific LRR proteins involved in neurodevelopmental
disorders, and taking advantage of the postnatal expression of Lrig2 by hippocampal
developing neurons, we used gain and loss of function assays to examine how altered
Lrig2 expression impacts neuronal morphology and synapse formation. Here, we
characterize the expression and the biological contribution of Lrig2 to the development
of specific neuronal populations of the central nervous system.