Releasing the Brake on Synaptic Plasticity: Immune Genes Moonlighting in Neurons

(Visit: ) Connections in the adult visual system are highly precise, but they do not start out that way. Precision emerges during critical periods of development as synaptic connections remodel, a process requiring neural activity and involving regression of some synapses and strengthening and stabilization of others. We discovered, unexpectedly, that MHC Class I genes and an innate immune receptor, PirB, are involved in this process. Thus, MHCI ligands signaling via PirB receptor m