ROLE OF CONTACTINS IN NEUROGENESIS IN HUMAN AND ANIMALS
N.M. Matveeva,1 A.A. Kashevarova,2 I.N. Lebedev,2 O.L. Serov 1,*
1 Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics Siberian Branch of RAS, Novosibirsk, 630090,
and 2 Scientific-Research Institute of Medical Genetics, Tomsk, 634050;
* e-mail: serov@bionet.nsc.ru
Development of central and peripheral nervous system is one of the most complicated processes of embryogenesis. Dendritogenesis is an important component of this
process because properties of dendritic branching define input and output signals received by neuron. Moreover, communications between neurons require transition of
signal from dendrite of one neuron to axon of another, and this process of signal transduction underlies mechanisms of synaptic plasticity and memory formation. The neural
cell adhesion molecules of the immunoglobulin superfamily involved in the control of dendritogenesis. In current review we focus our attention on 6 members of this adhesion
molecules family: contactins 1-6. The contactins are proteins that control key events of neurogenesis: adhesion and migration of neuronal cells, orientation of growth of neurites
and axons myelination. Functions of contactins are actively studied using model animals that express contactins in central and peripheral nervous system with almost similar to
human pattern. Mutations of contactin-encoding genes result in abnormalities of neurogenesis process and development of multiple neurological disorders. Review is devoted to
the role of contactin proteins in neurogenesis and nervous system disorders.
Key words:
contactins, neurogenesis, dendritogenesis, mutations of the contactin genes, a role of con-tactins in neuropathologies
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