To analyze the relative contributions of glypican and neurexin to LRRTM4’s synaptogenic activity, we cocultured 293T cells expressing myc-LRRTM with DIV7 neurons for 12 hr in the presence of excess Fc, Nrx1β(-S4)-Fc, or GPC4-Fc. GPC4-Fc did not affect LRRTM2-mediated presynaptic differentiation but markedly reduced LRRTM4’s synaptogenic activity (Figures 6I–6L), suggesting that GPC4 is a presynaptic receptor for LRRTM4-induced synapse formation. Unexpectedly, and in contrast to a previous report (Ko et al., 2009a), two independently LBH589 research buy generated batches of

Nrx1β(-S4)-Fc did not reduce LRRTM2’s synaptogenic activity in three separate experiments (Figures 6I and 6J). A compensatory role of α-neurexins (Ko et al., 2009b), or rapid internalization of Nrx-Fc in cocultures (Chubykin et al., 2005), might explain the lack of effect of Nrx1β(-S4)-Fc on LRRTM2-induced presynaptic differentiation. These experiments suggest that LRRTM4 interacts with a presynaptic

HSPG find more to induce synapse formation. To determine whether HS is required presynaptically, we first tested a large number of shRNAs to knock down expression of EXT1 and EXT2, the two key enzymes in heparan sulfate synthesis. However, expression of two working EXT1 shRNAs in hippocampal neurons resulted in the fasciculation of neurites and retraction of neurites from the substrate, effects not seen in neurons expressing the control vector or shRNAs against other targets. We therefore determined whether glypican is required in neurons for LRRTM4-induced synapse formation. We designed an shRNA against mouse and rat GPC4 and an shRNA-resistant GPC4 rescue construct containing silent mutations in those the shRNA target region (GPC4∗) and confirmed knockdown and rescue of GPC4 expression in 293T cells (Figure S6E). We then electroporated hippocampal neurons with control, shGPC4, or shGPC4 and GPC4∗ plasmids, cocultured 293T cells expressing myc-LRRTM at DIV7, and quantified the area of synapsin clusters per GFP-positive axon area on the 293T cell surface. Neuronal knockdown of GPC4 did not affect synapse formation onto LRRTM2-expressing cells (Figures 6M and 6N)

but strongly reduced synapse formation onto LRRTM4-expressing HEK293T cells (Figures 6O and 6P). This decrease could be rescued by coexpression of shRNA-resistant GPC4∗ (Figures 6O and 6P). The selective effect of GPC4 knockdown on LRRTM4-, but not on LRRTM2-mediated presynaptic differentiation, and the complete rescue by GPC4∗ support the specificity of the shRNA used. Taken together, these data indicate that LRRTM4’s synaptogenic activity depends on presynaptic glypican. In the final series of experiments, we examined whether loss of LRRTM4 affects synapse development in vivo. LRRTM4 is coexpressed with other LRRTM proteins in some neuronal populations, but whether LRRTM4 serves a unique or redundant role in synapse development or function is not known.