Contactins are a subgroup of molecules belonging to the

immunoglobulin An antibody (Ab), also known as an immunoglobulin (Ig), is a large, Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of the ...

superfamily that are expressed exclusively in the

nervous system In biology, the nervous system is the highly complex part of an animal that coordinates its actions and sensory information by transmitting signals to and from different parts of its body. The nervous system detects environmental changes th ...

. These proteins are attached to the neuronal membrane by a GPI-anchor. The subgroup consists of six members now referred to as contactin 1-6, but historically they had different names as shown in the table below:

References

{{Chemistry index Cell adhesion molecules GPI-Linked proteins