Characterization of protein-protein complexes within a family of synaptic surface receptors

Intra- and inter-cellular communications are mediated by protein-protein recognition and association phenomena processes involving receptors and ligands. Yet, there is a lack of information on the extracellular interactions and on the specificity of the protein-protein complexes at hand. A particularly rich paradigm to learn about protein-protein binding specificity is provided by the family of Dpr proteins, an acronym for Deffective in Proboscis Extension Response. Utilizing a network of Drosophila IgSF cell surface proteins, synaptic connectivity and interaction specificity have been identified, and interaction affinity and specificity determinants of Dpr-DIP proteins (DIP = Dpr Interacting Proteins) have been reported.