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The immunoglobulin superfamily of neuronal cell adhesion molecules: Lessons from animal models and correlation with human disease
Author(s) -
Katidou Markella,
Vidaki Marina,
Strigini Maura,
Karagogeos Domna
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.144
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1860-7314
pISSN - 1860-6768
DOI - 10.1002/biot.200800281
Subject(s) - immunoglobulin superfamily , neurogenesis , neuroscience , biology , neural cell adhesion molecule , cell adhesion molecule , biological neural network , neural development , synaptic plasticity , cell adhesion , microbiology and biotechnology , cell , gene , genetics , receptor
Neuronal cell adhesion molecules of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgCAMs) play a crucial role in the formation of neural circuits at different levels: cell migration, axonal and dendritic targeting as well as synapse formation. Furthermore, in perinatal and adult life, neuronal IgCAMs are required for the formation and maintenance of specialized axonal membrane domains, synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. Mutations in the corresponding human genes have been correlated to several human neuronal disorders. Perturbing neuronal IgCAMs in animal models provides powerful means to understand the molecular and cellular basis of such human disorders. In this review, we concentrate on the NCAM, L1 and contactin subfamilies of neuronal IgCAMs summarizing recent functional studies from model systems and highlighting their links to disease pathogenesis.