Calsyntenins (Csts, CLSTN) are type I
transmembrane proteins that belong to the
cadherin
Cadherins (named for "calcium-dependent adhesion") are a type of cell adhesion molecule (CAM) that is important in the formation of adherens junctions to allow cells to adhere to each other . Cadherins are a class of type-1 transmembrane proteins, ...
superfamily
SUPERFAMILY is a database and search platform of structural and functional annotation for all proteins and genomes. It classifies amino acid sequences into known structural domains, especially into SCOP superfamilies. Domains are functional, str ...
. Their name comes from their ability to bind
calcium. In
birds and
mammal
Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...
s, they consist of three family members (Cst1, 2 and 3),
in
nematode
The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-Parasitism, parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhab ...
s one
ortholog (CASY-1, originally
CDH11
Cadherin-11 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''CDH11'' gene.
Function
This gene encodes a type II classical cadherin from the cadherin superfamily, integral membrane proteins that mediate calcium-dependent cell-cell adhesion. Matu ...
) is known.
Cst1 (
CLSTN1) was first shown to be predominantly expressed in postsynaptic
membranes
A membrane is a selective barrier; it allows some things to pass through but stops others. Such things may be molecules, ions, or other small particles. Membranes can be generally classified into synthetic membranes and biological membranes. Bi ...
of excitatory
neurons
A neuron, neurone, or nerve cell is an electrically excitable cell that communicates with other cells via specialized connections called synapses. The neuron is the main component of nervous tissue in all animals except sponges and placozoa. N ...
,
Cst2 and 3 were found in an increased manner in inhibitory
GABAergic
In molecular biology and physiology, something is GABAergic or GABAnergic if it pertains to or affects the neurotransmitter GABA. For example, a synapse is GABAergic if it uses GABA as its neurotransmitter, and a GABAergic neuron produces GABA. A ...
neurons,
in adult and embryonic tissue. Calsyntenins interact with numerous proteins such as with
kinesin-1 and the
APP
App, Apps or APP may refer to:
Computing
* Application software
* Mobile app, software designed to run on smartphones and other mobile devices
* Web application or web app, software designed to run inside a web browser
* Adjusted Peak Performan ...
-linker protein X11L/Mint2,
and were shown to have multi-purpose functions both within and outside the nervous system.
Shortly after the calsyntenins were discovered, they were found to regulate postsynaptic
calcium concentration.
Later it was found that another key-function is to link
vesicles to
kinesin light chain (KLC) and thus to co-determine transport of distinct
cargo.
Recent studies identified a role for calsyntenin 1 in the regulation of vesicular trafficking of guidance receptors in dI1 axons at choice points.
[Alther TA, Domanitskaya E, Stoeckli ET. Calsyntenin 1-mediated trafficking of axon guidance receptors regulates the switch in axonal responsiveness at a choice point. Development. 2016 Mar 15;143(6):994-1004. , doi: 10.1242/dev.127449. Epub 2016 Feb 2 }] In cooperation with RabGDI (
Guanosine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor), calsyntenin 1 shuttles Rab11-positive vesicles containing Robo1 to the growth cone surface in a precisely regulated manner. By contrast, calsyntenin 1-mediated trafficking of frizzled 3, a guidance receptor in the
Wnt pathway, is independent of RabGDI. Calsyntenin gene expression also elevates during oxidative stress in PC12 cells
References
External links
* {{cite web , url = https://www.zora.uzh.ch/id/eprint/124595/ , title = The calsyntenin family of postsynaptic membrane proteins , publisher = Universität Zürich , website =
Cadherins
Single-pass transmembrane proteins