Single-molecule force spectroscopy of the Aplysia cell adhesion molecule reveals two homophilic bonds.

ABSTRACT: Aplysia californica neurons comprise a powerful model system for quantitative analysis of cellular and biophysical properties that are essential for neuronal development and function. The Aplysia cell adhesion molecule (apCAM), a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell adhesion molecules, is present in the growth cone plasma membrane and involved in neurite growth, synapse formation, and synaptic plasticity. apCAM has been considered to be the Aplysia homolog of the vertebrate neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM); however, whether apCAM exhibits similar binding properties and neuronal functions has not been fully established because of the lack of detailed binding data for the extracellular portion of apCAM. In this work, we used the atomic force microscope to perform single-molec

SUBMITTER: Martines E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3443774 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature