| Affiliation: | 1. University of Crete, Faculty of Medicine, Vassilika Vouton, Heraklion, Crete, Greece Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Hellas, Vassilika Vouton, Heraklion, Crete, Greece;2. Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Hellas, Vassilika Vouton, Heraklion, Crete, Greece;3. University of Crete, Faculty of Medicine, Vassilika Vouton, Heraklion, Crete, Greece |
| Abstract: | 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. |
