Structures and functions of gicerin, a novel cell adhesion molecule.

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We have reported the neurite outgrowth factor (NOF) that induces the neurite outgrowth from chicken ciliary neurons and revealed that it is an extracellular matrix protein which belongs to laminin family. On the other hand, we have isolated gicerin as a NOF receptor, which is a cell adhesion molecule belonging to a immunoglobulin superfamily. Gicerin exhibits both homophilic and heterophilic cell adhesion activities. Gicerin has two isomers (S-and L-) which differ in the length of cytoplasmic domain. Gicerin is expressed only during synaptogenesis and cell movement in development nervous system and thereafter rapidly is decreased. We also found that gicerin is involved in the tubular formation in the renal tubules and bronchus. Gicerin is also expressed in the olfactory bulb and C6 glioma cells. We found that gicerin expression was unregulated in the the injured neurons and reactive astrocytes at 7-14 days after the transection of the hypoglossal nerve. It is suggested that gicerin is involved in the network formation of reactive astrocytes and also the neurite outgrowth from the transected nerve end.