title: The role of NrCAM in neural development and disorders--beyond a simple glue in the brain.
abstract: NrCAM is a neuronal cell adhesion molecule of the L1 family of immunoglobulin super family. It plays a wide variety of roles in neural development, including cell proliferation and differentiation, axon growth and guidance, synapse formation, and the formation of the myelinated nerve structure. NrCAM functions in cell adhesion and modulates signaling pathways in neural development through multiple molecular interactions with guidance and other factors. Alterations in NrCAM structure/expression are associated with psychiatric disorders such as autism and drug addiction and with tumor progression. The mechanisms of NrCAM participation in development and how these might be perturbed in disorders are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan. takeshi.sakurai@mssm.edu
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakurai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; C491152:NRCAM protein, human; C491151:Nrcam protein, mouse