LAUSR

Exquisitely-regulated synaptic transmission and plasticity underlie higher brain functions such as learning and memory. PSD-95, a member of the MAGUK family, scaffolds an array of postsynaptic proteins including AMPA and NMDA receptors, and plays essential roles in excitatory synaptic transmission and postsynaptic organization. Epilepsy-related secreted protein LGI1 and its receptor ADAM22 represent major constituent elements of the PSD-95-containing synaptic protein complex in the brain. Recent studies begin to reveal a trans-synaptic configuration of the LGI1-ADAM22 complex and its pivotal role in AMPA and NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission through regulating MAGUKs. Especially interesting is that without the association with LGI1-ADAM22, PSD-95 cannot potentiate AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission. Here, we review roles of LGI1-ADAM22 in synaptic function, and discuss its modes of action on the MAGUK regulation: as (i) a trans-synaptic hub, (ii) an extracellular scaffold, and (iii) an allosteric activator. We also highlight patho-physiological roles of the LGI1-ADAM22-MAGUK linkage in synaptic disorders such as epilepsy and autoimmune limbic encephalitis.