The Neurexin Receptor Sorcs1: Another Player in Autism Spectrum Disorder?
Anders Nykjaer, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medical Biochemistry, Director of the Lundbeck Foundation, Research MIND, Dept. of Biomedicine, Aarhus University
Thurs. May 26, 2022
10:15 – 10:40 a.m.
Washington Room, Hotel Roanoke
Abstract: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder that affects more than 2% of all children in the U.S. Among the genes involved, many encode proteins that play prominent roles in synaptogenesis and synaptic cell adhesion such as the presynaptic neurexins (NRXNs) and postsynaptic neuroligins (NLGN). Recently, SorCS1 was identified as a receptor that enables the neuronal sorting and synaptic expression of neurexin. Here I will discuss the biological and behavioral consequence of SorCS1 deficiency in mice and humans.