A Day at the BEACH for Synapse Formation

The number of synaptic connections in the human brain is estimated to be greater than the number of stars in the Milky Way. Disruptions in this galaxy of neuronal connections lead to diverse neurological disorders including autism, epilepsy, and schizophrenia, and understanding the basic building blocks of the brain thus has profound implications for combating these conditions. The brain contains two types of synapses, chemical and electrical, but the mechanisms underlying the formation of the latter are poorly understood. To gain insight into the formation of electrical synapses, postdoctoral fellow Dr. Adam Miller and colleagues in the laboratory of Dr. Cecilia Moens (Basic Sciences Division) undertook a zebrafish genetic screen. The authors found that the gene neurobeachin (nbea) is required for the formation of both chemical and electrical synapses and is necessary in the "information receiving" postsynaptic neuron for these processes. These results may also have implications for understanding neurological disorders as mutations in human Nbea are associated with autism.