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The Journal of Neuroscience, June 24, 2009, 29(25):8039-8050; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0534-09.2009

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Cellular/Molecular
Neuroligin 2 Controls the Maturation of GABAergic Synapses and Information Processing in the Retina

Mrinalini Hoon,¹ Gabriele Bauer,² Jean-Marc Fritschy,³ Tobias Moser,^2,5 Bjoern H. Falkenburger,^4,5 * and Frédérique Varoqueaux^1,5 *

¹Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, and ²Department of Otolaryngology, University of Göttingen, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany, ³Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland, and ⁴Department of Neurodegeneration and Restorative Research, University of Göttingen, and ⁵DFG Research Center for Molecular Physiology of the Brain, 37073 Göttingen, Germany

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Frédérique Varoqueaux, Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein Strasse 3, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany. Email: varoqueaux{at}em.mpg.de

In the present study, we investigated the role of Neuroligin 2 (NL2) in synaptic transmission and network function using the mouse retina as a model circuit. We show that NL2 is preferentially located at GABAergic rather than glycinergic or glutamatergic postsynapses. The absence of NL2 from the retina resulted in a severe reduction of GABA_A receptor clustering, and in subtle alterations of the retinal circuitry. Light processing was impaired accordingly, and retinal ganglion cells, the output neurons of the retina, showed increased basal activity and altered coding of visual information. Together, our data indicate that NL2 is essential for the functional integrity of GABAergic signaling and as a consequence, for information processing in the retina.

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Received Jan. 23, 2009; revised May 5, 2009; accepted May 5, 2009.

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Frédérique Varoqueaux, Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein Strasse 3, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany. Email: varoqueaux{at}em.mpg.de

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