Topic: neuroligin 3

Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) has been associated with genetic alterations of synaptic proteins such as the point mutation R451C in neuroligin 3 (NLGN3), a postsynaptic adhesion molecule located at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses. By exploiting the transgenic NLGN3-R451C knock-in (KI) mice, an animal model of ASD, we investigated this mutation in the coordination of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic plasticity. In hippocampal primary cultures, while the NLGN3-R451C protein was less expressed in KI mice with respect to WT, the molecular and functional properties of basal excitatory