LYNX1

Ly6/neurotoxin 1 is a is_associated_with::protein in humans that is encoded by the LYNX1 is_associated_with::gene. is_associated_with::Alternatively spliced variants encoding different isoforms have been identified.

Function
This gene encodes a member of the Ly-6/is_associated_with::neurotoxin gene family, a group of is_associated_with::lymphocyte antigens that attach to the cell surface by a is_associated_with::glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor and have a unique structure showing conserved 8-10 cysteine residues with a characteristic spacing pattern. Functional analysis indicates that this protein is not a ligand or neurotransmitter but has the capacity to enhance is_associated_with::nicotinic acetylcholine receptor function in the presence of acetylcholine. This gene may also play a role in the is_associated_with::pathogenesis of is_associated_with::psoriasis vulgaris.

The LYNX1 gene codes for a protein (Lynx1) that binds to is_associated_with::acetylcholine receptors in the brain. Lynx1 a member of the Ly6 superfamily of proteins that are capable of modulating neurotransmitter receptors.

Lynx1 and Visual Plasticity
Transgenic mice without Lynx1 expression do not have a normal critical period of is_associated_with::neuroplasticity in the is_associated_with::visual cortex for development of is_associated_with::ocular dominance columns. These mice show unusually rapid recovery from is_associated_with::amblyopia in adulthood indicating a role in reduction of synaptic plasticity during the normal expression of Lynx1 in adult brain.

Lynx1 reduces adult visual cortex plasticity by binding to is_associated_with::nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (NAchR) and diminishing is_associated_with::acetylcholine signaling. After the developmental is_associated_with::critical period and into adulthood, both Lynx1 mRNA and protein levels increase in the adult V1 and the is_associated_with::lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). Lynx1 and nAChR mRNAs are co-expressed in the LGN, as well as in is_associated_with::parvalbumin-positive GABAergic interneurons. After monocular deprivation during the is_associated_with::critical period to induce is_associated_with::amblyopia, Lynx1 knock-out rat models spontaneously recovered normal visual acuity by reopening the closed eye. Similarly, an infusion of is_associated_with::physostigmine to increase is_associated_with::acetylcholine signaling prompted recovery from is_associated_with::amblyopia in wild type mice. Inhibition of Lynx1 may be a possible therapeutic mechanism to prolong is_associated_with::synaptic plasticity of the visual cortex and improve binocular function of some amblyopes.