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Synaptic adhesion molecules are key components in development of the brain, and in the formation of neuronal circuits, as they are central in the assembly and maturation of chemical synapses. Several families of neuronal adhesion molecules have been identified such as the neuronal cell adhesion molecules, neurexins and neuroligins, and in particular recently several leucine-rich repeat proteins, e.g., Netrin G-ligands, SLITRKs, and LRRTMs. The LRRTMs form a family of four proteins. They have been implicated in excitatory glutamatergic synapse function and were specifically characterized as ligands for neurexins in excitatory synapse formation and maintenance. In addition, LRRTM3 and LRRTM4 have been found to be ligands for heparan sulfate proteoglycans, including glypican. We report here the crystal structure of a thermostabilized mouse LRRTM2, with a Tm 30 °C higher than that of the wild-type protein. We localized the neurexin binding site to the concave surface based on protein engineering, sequence conservation, and prior information about the interaction of the ligand with neurexins, which allowed us to propose a tentative model for the LRRTM-neurexin interaction complex. We also determined affinities of the thermostabilized LRRTM2 and wild-type LRRTM1 and LRRTM2 for neurexin-β1 with and without Ca(2+). Cell culture studies and binding experiments show that the engineered protein is functional and capable of forming synapselike contacts. The structural and functional data presented here provide the first structure of an LRRTM protein and allow us to propose a model for the molecular mechanism of LRRTM function in the synaptic adhesion.

Cell adhesion is of utmost importance for normal development and cellular functions. ICAM-5 (intercellular adhesion molecule-5, telencephalin) is a member of the ICAM-family of adhesion proteins. These proteins bind to leukocyte beta(2)-integrins (CD11/CD18), but ICAM-5 is exceptional in several ways. It is solely expressed in the mammalian forebrain, appears at the time of birth, and is located in the soma and dendrites of neurons. It is structurally more complex than the others, and also shows homophilic adhesion. Recent studies show that it is important for the regulation of immunological activity in the brain and for the development of neuronal synapses and signal transmission.

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 are pivotal in remodeling many tissues. However, their functions and candidate substrates for brain development are poorly characterized. Intercellular adhesion molecule-5 (ICAM-5; Telencephalin) is a neuronal adhesion molecule that regulates dendritic elongation and spine maturation. We find that ICAM-5 is cleaved from hippocampal neurons when the cells are treated with N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) or alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA). The cleavage is blocked by MMP-2 and -9 inhibitors and small interfering RNAs. Newborn MMP-2- and MMP-9-deficient mice brains contain more full-length ICAM-5 than wild-type mice. NMDA receptor activation disrupts the actin cytoskeletal association of ICAM-5, which promotes its cleavage. ICAM-5 is mainly located in dendritic filopodia and immature thin spines. MMP inhibitors block the NMDA-induced cleavage of ICAM-5 more efficiently in dendritic shafts than in thin spines. ICAM-5 deficiency causes retraction of thin spine heads in response to NMDA stimulation. Soluble ICAM-5 promotes elongation of dendritic filopodia from wild-type neurons, but not from ICAM-5-deficient neurons. Thus, MMPs are important for ICAM-5-mediated dendritic spine development.

Intercellular adhesion molecule-5 (ICAM-5, telencephalin) is a dendrite-expressed membrane glycoprotein of telencephalic neurons in the mammalian brain. By deletion of the cytoplasmic and membrane-spanning domains of ICAM-5, we observed that the membrane distribution of ICAM-5 was determined by the cytoplasmic portion. Therefore we have characterized the intracellular associations of ICAM-5 by using a bacterially expressed glutathione S-transferase (GST) fusion protein encompassing the cytoplasmic part of ICAM-5. One of the main proteins in the neuronal cell line Paju that bound to the ICAM-5 cytodomain was alpha-actinin. ICAM-5 expressed in transfected Paju cells was found in alpha-actinin immunoprecipitates, and ICAM-5 colocalized with alpha-actinin both in Paju cells and in dendritic filopodia and spines of primary hippocampal neurons. We were also able to coprecipitate alpha-actinin from rat brain homogenate. Binding to alpha-actinin appeared to be mediated mainly through the N-terminal region of the ICAM-5 cytodomain, as the ICAM-5(857-861) cytoplasmic peptide (KKGEY) mediated efficient binding to alpha-actinin. Surface plasmon resonance analysis showed that the turnover of the interaction was rapid. In a mutant cell line, Paju-ICAM-5-KK/AA, the distribution was altered, which implies the importance of the lysines in the interaction. Furthermore, we found that the ICAM-5/alpha-actinin interaction is involved in neuritic outgrowth and the ICAM-5(857-861) cytoplasmic peptide induced morphological changes in Paju-ICAM-5 cells. In summary, these results show that the interaction between ICAM-5 and alpha-actinin is mediated through binding of positively charged amino acids near the transmembrane domain of ICAM-5, and this interaction may play an important role in neuronal differentiation.

Fractionation of proteins from perinatal rat brain was monitored using a neurite outgrowth assay. Two neurite-promoting proteins, HB-GAM (heparin-binding growth-associated molecule; also known as pleiotrophin) and amphoterin, were isolated, cloned and produced by baculovirus expression for structural and functional studies. HB-GAM is highly expressed in embryonic and early post-natal fiber pathways of the nervous system, and it enhances axonal growth/guidance by binding to N-syndecan (syndecan-3) at the neuron surface. N-syndecan in turn communicates with the cytoskeleton through the cortactin/src-kinase pathway to enhance neurite extension. In addition to N-syndecan, the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan RPTP beta/zeta (receptor-type tyrosine phosphatase beta/zeta) is implicated in the receptor mechanism of HB-GAM. HB-GAM is also prominently expressed in developing and regenerating bone as a matrix-bound cue for migration of osteoblasts/osteoblast precursors to the site of bone deposition. HB-GAM is suggested to regulate motility in osteoblasts through a similar mechanism as in neurons. Structural studies using heteronuclear NMR reveal two similar protein domains in HB-GAM, both consisting of three anti-parallel beta-strands. Search of sequence databases shows that the beta structures of HB-GAM and of the similar domains of MK (midkine) correspond to the thrombospondin type I (TSR) sequence motif. We suggest that the TSR sequence motif, found in several neurite outgrowth-promoting and other cell surface and matrix-binding proteins, defines a beta structure similar to those found in HB-GAM and MK. In general, amphoterin is highly expressed in immature and transformed cells. We suggest a model, according to which amphoterin is an autocrine/paracrine regulator of invasive migration. Amphoterin binds to RAGE (receptor of advanced glycation end products), an immunoglubulin superfamily member related to N-CAM (neural cell adhesion molecule), that communicates with the GTPases Cdc42 and Rac to regulate cell motility. In addition, ligation of RAGE by amphoterin activates NF-kappaB to regulate transcription.

Amphoterin, a major form of HMG (high mobility group) 1 proteins, is highly expressed in immature and malignant cells. A role in cell motility is suggested by the ability of amphoterin to promote neurite extension through RAGE (receptor of advanced glycation end products), an immunoglobulin superfamily member that communicates with the GTPases Cdc42 and Rac. We show here that cell contact with the laminin matrix induces accumulation of both amphoterin mRNA and protein close to the plasma membrane, which is accompanied by extracellular export of amphoterin. A role for amphoterin in extracellular matrix-dependent cell regulation is further suggested by the finding that specific decrease of amphoterin mRNA and protein, using antisense oligonucleotides transfected into cells, inhibits cell migration to laminin in a transfilter assay whereas the oligonucleotides in the culture medium have no effect. Moreover, affinity-purified anti-amphoterin antibodies inhibit cell migration to laminin, supporting an extracellular role for the endogenous amphoterin in cell motility. The finding that amphoterin expression is more pronounced in cells with a motile phenotype as compared to cells of dense cultures, is consistent with the results of the cell migration assays. Our results strongly suggest that amphoterin is a key player in the migration of immature and transformed cells.