A TRANSMEMBRANE PROTEIN FOR RECEPTOR CLUSTERING

 

 

An efficient neurotransmission requires the clustering of neurotransmitter receptors by post-synaptic neuron. Gally et al. (A transmembrane protein required for acetylcholine receptor clustering in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nature 431, 578-582, 2004) in a cooperative work between INSERM (Paris, France) and University of Illinois at Chicago (USA) identify a Caenorhabditis elegans locus, lev-10 required for postsynaptic aggregation of ionotropic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs).

The polypeptide LEV-10 is a transmembrane protein localized to cholinergic NMJs and required in body-wall muscles for AChRs clustering.            

 

BM&L-October 2004