Figure 5.
Neuroligin Aggregation Alone Is Synaptogenic
Neurons expressing low levels of YFP-neuroligins were exposed to beads bearing antibodies against YFP to aggregate the neuroligins on dendrites independently of neurexin. Aggregation of YFP-neuroligin-1 resulted in coaggregation of PSD-95 but not gephyrin (A), whereas aggregation of YFP-neuroligin-2 resulted in coaggregation of both PSD-95 and gephyrin (B). Aggregates of the postsynaptic proteins induced by neuroligin aggregation lacked immunoreactivity for the presynaptic protein synapsin. Arrows indicate sites of induced aggregation; other such sites are enlarged below (Nlg1, YFP-neuroligin-1; Geph, gephyrin; PSD, PSD-95; Syn, synapsin; Nlg2, YFP-neuroligin-2). Scale bar 5 μm.