Abstract
Synaptic structural plasticity, the expansion of dendritic spines in response to synaptic stimulation, is essential for experience-dependent plasticity and is driven by branched actin polymerization. The WAVE regulatory complex (WRC) is confined to nanodomains at the postsynaptic membrane where it catalyzes actin polymerization. As the netrin/RGM receptor Neogenin is a critical regulator of the WRC, its nanoscale organization may be an important determinant of WRC nanoarchitecture and function. Using super-resolution microscopy, we reveal that Neogenin is highly organized on the spine membrane at the nanoscale level. We show that Neogenin binding to the WRC promotes co-clustering into nanodomains in response to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), indicating that nanoclustering occurs in response to synaptic stimulation. Disruption of Neogenin/WRC binding not only prevents BDNF-mediated actin remodeling but also inhibits BDNF-induced calcium signaling. We conclude that the assembly of Neogenin/WRC nanodomains is a prerequisite for BDNF-mediated structural and synaptic plasticity.