Role of cell adhesions in neural development: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:14, 26 March 2016

Revision as of 10:20, 7 May 2016

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===L1 family protein===

The [[L1 family]] of proteins are involved in neuronal migration, as well as in axon growth and proper synapse formation, and include L1CAM, CHL1, NrCAM and neurofascin. L1-Cell Adhesion Molecule (L1CAM) was first discovered to be important in neuron-related tissue development in the mid-1980s, and is a trans-membranal glycoprotein of approximately 200-220 kDa. On its extracellular ___domain, the L1CAM protein includes [[Immunoglobulin|IgG]]-like and [[fibronectin]]-III (FN-III) repeats which allow for interaction with integrins and ECM proteins. Similarly to integrin, F1CAM expresses domains intracellularly that interact with the actin cytoskeleton. Supporting the claim that L1-family proteins are involved in CNS development is the finding that L1CAM is highly expressed in neuronal tissue during its early stages of growth, especially at the ends of axons. Some areas of the brain, such as the hippocampus, have been found to highly express L1CAM into adulthood, though the exact reason for this has not been elucidated.

Due to its involvement in neuronal development and axon guidance, it has been proposed that L1CAM and L1-family proteins may be useful therapeutics to treat tissue damage in the CNS. Some have even proposed that L1CAM expression is elevated in vivo during tissue repair, which would support the notion that it yields benefit during CNS tissue repair.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Schafer|first=Michael|author2=Michael Frotscher |title=Role of L1CAM for axon sprouting and branching|journal=Cell Tissue Res|date=February 2012|volume=349|pages=39–48|doi=10.1007/s00441-012-1345-4}}</ref>