AUTHOR=Gorlewicz Adam , Kaczmarek Leszek 

TITLE=Pathophysiology of Trans-Synaptic Adhesion Molecules: Implications for Epilepsy

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

VOLUME=Volume 6 - 2018

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2018.00119

DOI=10.3389/fcell.2018.00119

ISSN=2296-634X

ABSTRACT=Chemical synapses are specialized interfaces between neurons in the brain that transmit and modulate information, thereby integrating cells into multiplicity of interacting neural circuits. Cell adhesion molecules might form trans-synaptic complexes that are crucial for the appropriate identification of synaptic partners and further for the establishment, properties, and dynamics of synapses. When affected, trans-synaptic adhesion mechanisms play a role in synaptopathies in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders including epilepsy. This review recapitulates current understanding of trans-synaptic interactions in pathophysiology of inter-neuronal connections. In particular, we discuss here the possible implications of trans-synaptic adhesion dysfunction for epilepsy.