title: Structural basis of cell-cell adhesion by NCAM.
abstract: The neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM, a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, mediates cell-cell recognition and adhesion via a homophilic interaction. NCAM plays a key role during development and regeneration of the nervous system and is involved in synaptic plasticity associated with memory and learning. The 1.85 A crystal structure of the two N-terminal extracellular domains of NCAM reported here provides a structural basis for the homophilic interaction. The molecular packing of the two-domain structure reveals a cross shaped antiparallel dimer, and provides fundamental insight into trans-cellular recognition mediated by NCAM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Royal Danish School of Pharmacy, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kasper
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kastrup
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikemizu
authors.forename: E Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Berezin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bock
authors.forename: I K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Larsen
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D019281:Dimerization; D006493:Heparin / Q000378:metabolism; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D051381:Rats; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D006493:Heparin; D002118:Calcium