Neural cell adhesion molecules belonging to the family of leucine-rich repeat proteins.

Abstract

Leucine-rich repeats (LRRs) are motifs that form protein-ligand interaction domains. There are approximately 140 human genes encoding proteins with extracellular LRRs. These encode cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), proteoglycans, G-protein-coupled receptors, and other types of receptors. Here we give a brief description of 36 proteins with extracellular LRRs that all can be characterized as CAMs or putative CAMs expressed in the nervous system. The proteins are involved in multiple biological processes in the nervous system including the proliferation and survival of cells, neuritogenesis, axon guidance, fasciculation, myelination, and the formation and maintenance of synapses. Moreover, the proteins are functionally implicated in multiple diseases including cancer, hearing impairment, glaucoma, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Thus, LRR-containing CAMs constitute a large group of proteins of pivotal importance for the development, maintenance, and regeneration of the nervous system.