A research team led by Professor Ko Jae-won from the College of Life Science and Biotechnology has uncovered the crucial role of the protein Calsyntenin-3 (CST-3) in regulating synapse formation and function and neuron development. The results of the research were published March 6 in the online version of Cell Reports—the sister journal of Cell—under the title “Calsyntenins Function as Synaptogenic Adhesion Molecules in Concert with Neurexins.”
The other members of Professor Ko’s international team were Yonsei Professor Um Ji-won (College of Life Science and Biotechnology), Yonsei PhD candidate Ko Ji-seung (Biochemistry), Nobel Laureate Thomas C. Südhof (Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University), Katsuhiko Tabuchi and Gopal Pramanik (Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Shinsu University), Kim Hyun and Lee Dong-min (Anatomy and Neuroscience, Korea University), and Park Kang-sik and Song Min-young (Physiology and Neuroscience, Kyung Hee University). The project received funding and support from a variety of sources, including the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), and the Ministry of Public Health and Welfare.
According to the authors, the research could have important applications in terms of better understanding and treating several neurological disorders, and it paves the way for future research into the brain development of various animal species.