Abstract
Insights into mechanisms coordinating membrane remodeling, local actin nucleation, and postsynaptic scaffolding during postsynapse formation are important for understanding vertebrate brain function. Gene knockout and RNAi in individual neurons reveal that the F-BAR protein syndapin I is a crucial postsynaptic coordinator in formation of excitatory synapses. Syndapin I deficiency caused significant reductions of synapse and dendritic spine densities. These syndapin I functions reflected direct, SH3 domain-mediated associations and functional interactions with ProSAP1/Shank2. They furthermore required F-BAR domain-mediated membrane binding. Ultra-high-resolution imaging of specifically membrane-associated, endogenous syndapin I at membranes of freeze-fractured neurons revealed that membrane-bound syndapin I preferentially occurred in spines and formed clusters at distinct postsynaptic membrane subareas. Postsynaptic syndapin I deficiency led to reduced frequencies of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents, i.e., to defects in synaptic transmission phenocopying ProSAP1/Shank2 knockout, and impairments in proper synaptic ProSAP1/Shank2 distribution. Syndapin I-enriched membrane nanodomains thus seem to be important spatial cues and organizing platforms, shaping dendritic membrane areas into synaptic compartments.