Contribution of neuroligin and neurexin alternative splicing to the establishment of enteric neuronal synaptic specificity

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

We found that neuroligins and neurexins play roles in establishing ENS synapses. Both are extensively spliced in the fetal and adult gut. When expressed in non-neuronal cells, both neuroligins and neurexins are sufficient to recruit, respectively, presynaptic and postsynaptic elements. Soluble neurexin inhibits enteric synapse formation and recruitment of neurotransmitter receptors by interfering with endogenous neurexin/neuroligin binding. The neurexin/neuroligin splice code contributes physiologically to ENS synaptic specificity, promoting for example, cholinergic or serotonergic synaptogenesis.