CRC 1348 - A15: Structural insights into the complex interplay between latrotoxin and the cell adhesion receptors neurexin and latrophilin

Basic data for this project

Description

α-Latrotoxin (α-LTX ) binds to the adhesion receptors Neurexin1α and latrophilin1 at the synaptic interface and triggers neurotransmitter release via Ca2+-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Both adhesion receptors were reported to arrange into dynamic nanoclusters and form a trans-synaptic complex. Here, we aim to gain mechanistic insights into toxin-receptor interactions, receptor activation and α-LTX-associated functional effects through structural analyses using cryo-electron microscopy of reconstituted complexes and by visualizing complexes in their native environment at the synapse.