Cell adhesion molecules in the central nervous system.
Cell-cell adhesion molecules play key roles at the intercellular junctions of a wide variety of cells, including interneuronal synapses and neuron-glia contacts. Functional studies suggest that adhesion molecules are implicated in many aspects of neural network formation, such as axon-guidance, synapse formation, regulation of synaptic structure and astrocyte-synapse contacts. Some basic cell biological aspects of the assembly of junctional complexes of neurons and glial cells resemble those of epithelial cells. However, the neuron specific junctional machineries are required to exert neuronal functions, such as synaptic transmission and plasticity. In this review, we describe the distribution and function of cell adhesion molecules at synapses and at contacts between synapses and astrocytes.
Togashi
Hideru
H
Division of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan.
Sakisaka
Toshiaki
T
Takai
Yoshimi
Y
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules