PTPRM Is Critical for Synapse Formation Regulated by Zinc Ion

Xiaoqiang Mo; Mengxue Liu; Jihong Gong; Ying Mei; Huidan Chen; Huajun Mo; Xiaofei Yang; Jun Li

doi:10.3389/fnmol.2022.822458

PTPRM Is Critical for Synapse Formation Regulated by Zinc Ion

Front Mol Neurosci. 2022 Mar 21:15:822458. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.822458. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Xiaoqiang Mo^{1

2}, Mengxue Liu³, Jihong Gong³, Ying Mei⁴, Huidan Chen³, Huajun Mo¹, Xiaofei Yang³, Jun Li¹

Affiliations

¹ Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China.
² Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Cognitive Science, Laboratory of Membrane Ion Channels and Medicine, and College of Biomedical Engineering, South-Central Minzu University, Wuhan, China.
⁴ Wuhan Institute of Biological Products, Co., Ltd., Wuhan, China.

Abstract

In the nervous system, the trace metal ion zinc is required for normal mammalian brain development and physiology. Zinc homeostasis is essential for the control of physiological and pathophysiological brain functions. Synapses, the junctions between neurons, are the center of the brain's information transmission. Zinc deficiency or excess leads to neurological disorders. However, it is still unclear whether and how zinc ion regulates synapse formation. Here, we investigated the effect of zinc on synapse formation in a cultured neuron system, and found that synapse formation and synaptic transmission were regulated by zinc ions. Finally, we identified that PTPRM is the key gene involved in synapse formation regulated by zinc ions. This study provides a new perspective to understanding the regulation of brain function by zinc ion.

Keywords: synapse; synapse formation; synaptic transmission; synaptogenesis; zinc ion.