■New properties of neuroligin, a protein that connects nerve cells, revealed (Biochem Biophys Res Commun) 2026.6.25 Uto Y, Yokoo T, Yuzaki M, Tsumoto K, Nakado M. Mass photometry analysis revealed monomer-dimer equilibrium of the synaptic adhesion molecule neuroligin. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2026 June 25;819:153830. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2026.153830. Epub 2026 Apr 22. PMID: 42033941. In this research、We focused on neuroligin, a protein that is important for the formation of synapses, which are the points of contact between nerve cells.。Neuroligin is、2It has been thought that the two molecules act as a dimer.、It was not fully understood how stable that bond was.。Therefore, using a new measurement technology called mass photometry,、human neuroligin 1、2、3We have analyzed in detail。as a result、Neuroligins do not always exist as dimers;、It has been revealed that the state of one molecule and the state of two molecules bonded dynamically go back and forth depending on the concentration.。Also、The ease of forming dimers differs depending on the type of neuroligin.、Neuroligin 3 forms the strongest dimer、Then Neuroligin 2、It was found that the order of neuroligin 1。This result is、This provides new clues to understanding how synapses form and mature.。This is a research paper by Uto, a graduate student at the University of Tokyo Tsumoto Laboratory and Nakakido Laboratory.。