Shank3/PROSAP2 gene mutations are associated with cognitive impairment ranging from
mental retardation to autism. Shank3 is a large scaffold postsynaptic density protein
implicated in dendritic spines and synapse formation; however, its specific functions have
not been clearly demonstrated. We have used RNAi to knockdown Shank3 expression in
neuronal cultures and showed that this treatment specifically reduced the synaptic
expression of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5), but did not affect the …