Minding the synapse: A multi-omic approach reveals hidden regulators of neurodevelopment.

Synapses are fundamental for neural communication, yet their molecular architecture remains incompletely defined. Now, Mei et al. generate proteomic data from multiple biological systems and combine these data with other multi-omics datasets to identify over 1,000 high-confidence synaptic proteins.1 Characterizing three such proteins-DDX3X, YBX1, and CUL3-uncovers mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders.