Figure 9

Possible interactions among neurexin (Nrxn), neuroligin (Nlgn) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) at glutamatergic synapses under normal and pathological conditions. Under normal conditions, O-glycosylated β-neurexins are primarily associated with neuroligin-1, forming trans-synaptic junctions and inducing pre- and post-synaptic maturation. Under pathological conditions, N-glycosylated AChE increases (or O-glycosylation of β-neurexins decreases), allowing more interactions between N-glycosylated AChE and non-O-glycosylated β-neurexins and a consequent loss of glutamatergic synapses and intracellular accumulation of post-synaptic proteins such as postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) and the glutamate receptor subunits GluN1a (NR1a) and GluA2 (GluR2).