The work uncovers a muscle-epidermis-glia signaling axis, modulated by protease mig-17 and the basement membrane, that regulates synaptic allometry during growth in Caenorhabditis elegans.
Fly protein families Dprs and DIPs can create a multitude of complementary interfaces for homo- and heterophilic adhesion complexes, resulting in instructive roles for connectivity in the motor neuron circuitry.
Crystal structures of synaptic recognition molecules Sidekick-1 and -2 reveal a single homodimer interaction mode responsible for both cell-cell recognition and cis-clustering, suggesting that competition between cis and trans interactions may be critical to specificity.
Behaviorally-driven expression of the immediate early gene transcription factor NPAS4 changes local circuit connectivity and short-term plasticity by selectively recruiting CCK basket cell synapses to pyramidal neuron somas.
Two homologous kinesin motors, KIF5A and KIF5B, have distinct functions in dendritic spine morphogenesis, and KIF5B plays a role in synaptic plasticity and memory.
Synaptic partner recognition in the Drosophila neuromuscular circuit requires interactions between the Dpr and DIP subfamilies of immunoglobulin cell-surface proteins.