Developmental resilience of synaptome architecture

Neurodevelopmental disorders of genetic origin delay the acquisition of normal abilities and cause disabling phenotypes. Spontaneous attenuation and even complete amelioration of symptoms in early childhood and adolescence occur in many disorders1–10, suggesting that brain circuits possess an intrinsic capacity to repair themselves. We examined the molecular composition of almost a trillion excitatory synapses on a brain-wide scale between birth and adulthood in mice carrying a mutation in the homeobox transcription factor Pax6, a neurodevelopmental disorder model11. Pax6 haploinsufficiency had no impact on total synapse number at any age. By contrast, the postnatal expansion of synapse diversity and acquisition of normal synaptome architecture were delayed in all brain regions, interfering with network and cognitive functions. Specific excitatory synapse types and subtypes were affected in two key developmental age-windows. These phenotypes were reversed within 2-3 weeks of onset, restoring synaptome architecture to its normal developmental trajectory. Synapse subtypes with high rates of protein turnover mediated these events. These results show synaptome remodelling confers resilience to neurodevelopmental disorders.