Neuroplastin is a

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...

that in humans is encoded by the ''NPTN''

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "... Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a b ...

. Neuroplastin is a type I transmembrane protein belonging to the Ig superfamily. The protein is believed to be involved in cell-cell interactions or cell-substrate interactions. The alpha and beta transcripts show differential localization within the brain. In 2014, in a study led by Dr. Sylvane Desrivières, of King's College London's

Institute of Psychiatry The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) is a research institution dedicated to discovering what causes mental illness and diseases of the brain. In addition, its aim is to help identify new treatments for them and ways ...

found that "teenagers who had a highly functioning NPTN gene performed better in intelligence tests"Single nucleotide polymorphism in the neuroplastin locus associates with cortical thickness and intellectual ability in adolescents
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References

Further reading