{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Neuronal and non-neuronal functions of the synaptic cell adhesion molecule neurexin in Nematostella vectensis.
{Author}: Guzman C;Mohri K;Nakamura R;Miyake M;Tsuchiya Y;Tomii K;Watanabe H;
{Journal}: Nat Commun
{Volume}: 15
{Issue}: 1
{Year}: 2024 Aug 1
{Factor}: 17.694
{DOI}: 10.1038/s41467-024-50818-8
{Abstract}: The evolutionary transition from diffusion-mediated cell-cell communication to faster, targeted synaptic signaling in animal nervous systems is still unclear. Genome sequencing analyses have revealed a widespread distribution of synapse-related genes among early-diverging metazoans, but how synaptic machinery evolved remains largely unknown. Here, we examine the function of neurexins (Nrxns), a family of presynaptic cell adhesion molecules with critical roles in bilaterian chemical synapses, using the cnidarian model, Nematostella vectensis. Delta-Nrxns are expressed mainly in neuronal cell clusters that exhibit both peptidergic and classical neurotransmitter signaling. Knockdown of δ-Nrxn reduces spontaneous peristalsis of N. vectensis polyps. Interestingly, gene knockdown and pharmacological studies suggest that δ-Nrxn is involved in glutamate- and glycine-mediated signaling rather than peptidergic signaling. Knockdown of the epithelial α-Nrxn reveals a major role in cell adhesion between ectodermal and endodermal epithelia. Overall, this study provides molecular, functional, and cellular insights into the pre-neural function of Nrxns, as well as key information for understanding how and why they were recruited to the synaptic machinery.