Cell adhesion molecule genes with substantial follow up information: 1) Neurexin 3 (NRXN3). Neurexins are cell adhesion molecules that help to specify and stabilize synapses and provide receptors for neuroligins, neurexophilins, dystroglycans, and α-latrotoxins [168, 205, 206]. Neurexins function in the nervous system as cell adhesion molecules at excitatory and inhibitory synapses [168, 205–214]. The mammalian neurexin genes, NRXN1 –NRXN3, each display multiple promoters from which longer α-neurexins and shorter β-neurexins are transcribed. Differential promoter usage and/or differential splicing events provide many neurexin isoforms [213, 215–218]. Neurexin splicing variants also provide opportunities to produce both membrane bound and soluble isoforms [215–217].
