FIGURE 3.

Wnts modulate both pre- and postsynaptic regions of central synapses affecting synaptic wiring and plasticity. The figure indicates a central synapse of the mammalian nervous system. At the presynaptic region, canonical Wnt7a ligand activates Fz receptor associated to LRP5/6, and triggers the activation of the synaptic vesicle cycle, which determines the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate. At the postsynaptic level, Wnt5a ligand activates both the Wnt/PCP (JNK) and the Wnt/Ca signaling pathways, through activation of JNK, Wnt5a regulates the clustering of PSD-95. Wnt5a also activates both non-canonical pathways that allow an increase in the traffic of NMDA receptors.