The research group on Neuronal Development and Regeneration of VHIR, led by Dr. Eduardo Soriano -also head of the research group on Development Neurobiology and Regeneration of Neurosciences Institute of Universitat de Barcelona-, in collaboration with the Dr. Stoeckli from Institute of Molecular Life Sciences of Zurich University and Dr. Araújo of IBMB-CSIC of Barcelona, has proved the role of Syntaxin proteins in the development of the Central Nervous System and their shared role in several species of vertebrates and invertebrates.The study, published last June at Journal Plos Genetics, has defined the function of the Syntaxin-1 protein, part of the protein complex SNARE that participate in the development of the Central Nervous System and in the neurotransmission in the Adult Nervous System. The new function defined its basic role on neuronal regulation, basic for the proper development of the Central Nervous System.

Therefore, the Syntaxin receives protagonism on the research for new therapeutic targets for diseases and syndromes related to wrong brain developments, as the protein belongs to the mechanisms that link the nerves attraction with the growth of the neuronal axons. Syntaxin-1, the axons compassThe researchers studied the role of the Syntaxin-1 protein by inactivating the gene that codifies it, by this means, they could observe the effect on the embryo that contained it. On top of it, they also studied the modifications through several species such as flies, mice and chicken."When inactivating genes, we found out that the absence of Syntaxina-1 triggered very similar defects among species and their commissural phenotypes", explains Dr. Soriano, "these phenotypes are expressed in the union areas, named commissures, between the two brain hemispheres that are linked throughout the embryonic stages of the individual by the axons (neuron prolongations)".

Hereby, the Syntaxin-1 is involved in the axon attraction and the neurons that cross the brain hemispheres, ensuring the proper development of the neuronal circuits. The delicacy of the Nervous SystemFollowing the results among species, the researchers concluded that Syntaxin-1 had preserved its role through evolution, as it has a basic development in both invertebrate and vertebrate species."In flies, the loss of Syntaxin-1 triggers a wrong delivery of axons throughout the embryonic stages of the fly, affecting the development of its Central Nervous System. A similar effect is hosted with the chickens, where the axons fail on entering or crossing the space between the brain hemispheres. And even in mice, the modification on Syntaxin-1 presence can trigger motor abnormalities as severe as becoming lethal",details Dr. Soriano.This discover has defined the Syntaxin-1 role in the brain development through chemical attraction mechanisms, very preserved among species, that could ease up the testing and analysis procedures to open new research lines in the Neurosciences field.