Topic: Vangl2

Correct memory recall requires two cognitive processes. Pattern separation (PS) is an encoding process that enables the discrimination among similar experiences. Conversely, Pattern completion (PC) allows memory retrieval from partial information. In aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the balance between PS and PC is shifted, in favor of PC over PS, inducing overgeneralization and overlapping memories. Mechanistically, PS and PC rely on the dentate gyrus (DG) and the CA3 hippocampal areas. We previously showed that the DG conditional knock-out of Vangl2 – a core Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) gen

Vangl2, a central protein of the Wnt/PCP pathway, is a known key player in morphogenesis. One of our recent studies also linked it to the regulation of cognitive function. However, we lack information on the precise role of Vangl2 in different types of synapses associated with specific cognitive processes. Here, we found that Vangl2 is essential for the development and function of a specific hippocampal connection, the MFB/TE synapse. We show that Vangl2 is enriched in the postnatal hippocampus, specifically in the DG and CA3. Using 3D reconstruction of confocal and SBFSEM acquisitions, we sho