# Mapping glycan-dependent neurexin interactomes

> **NIH NIH R21** · SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE · 2023 · $181,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Neurexin is an important cell adhesion molecule on pre-synaptic neurons that mediates important binding events
to form synapses, the most fundamental unit of neuronal communication. Alterations in neurexin structure
underlie many cognitive and neurological diseases. Our limited understanding of neurexin structure hampers our
ability to develop targeted therapies to alleviate these disorders. Recent discoveries have found that neurexin is
a glycoconjugate decorated with diverse glycosaminoglycan structures. These findings are exciting and prompt
the requirement for a comprehensive and glycan-dependent understanding of neurexin structure-binding
relationships. However, such studies are challenging, given the diversity and heterogeneity of
glycosaminoglycans. Using an innovative proteoglycan editing platform rooted in chemical biology, we will
fabricate defined and replete neurexin ectodomains and refine binding relationships with known binding partners
(evaluation phase, Aim 1). Subsequently, we will apply these molecules to live primary neurons and display them
in a de novo fashion on cell surfaces, such that we can use proximity tagging to capture their corresponding
interactomes (discovery phase, Aim 2). These sophisticated materials will serve as important tools to define and
evaluate neurexin ligands, and the overall outcome of this application will be a catalogue of neurexin
interactomes defined by their glycosylation states.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10675699
- **Project number:** 5R21NS126916-02
- **Recipient organization:** SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE
- **Principal Investigator:** Mia L Huang
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $181,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-08-15 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10675699

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10675699, Mapping glycan-dependent neurexin interactomes (5R21NS126916-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10675699. Licensed CC0.

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