An unbiased expression screen for synaptogenic proteins identifies the LRRTM protein family as synaptic organizers. Neuron

A delineation of the molecular basis of synapse development is crucial for understanding brain function. Co-cultures of neurons with transfected fibroblastoid cells have been used to demonstrate the synapse-promoting activity of candidate molecules. Here, we performed an unbiased expression screen for synaptogenic proteins in the co-culture assay using custom-made full-length cDNA libraries. Re-isolation of NGL-3/LRRC4B and neuroligin-2 accounts for a minority of positive clones, indicating that current understanding of mammalian synaptogenic proteins is far from complete. We identify LRRTM1 as a novel transmembrane protein capable of inducing presynaptic differentiation in contacting axons. All four LRRTM family members exhibit synaptogenic activity, LRRTMs localize to excitatory synapses, and artificially-induced clustering of LRRTMs mediates postsynaptic differentiation in dendrites. We generate LRRTM1-/- mice and reveal altered distribution of the vesicular glutamate transporter VGLUT1, confirming an in vivo synaptic function. These results suggest a prevalence of LRR domain proteins in trans-synaptic signaling and provide a cellular basis for the recently reported linkage of LRRTM1 to handedness and schizophrenia