Differential Spatiotemporal Expression of Type I and Type II Cadherins Associated With the Segmentation of the Central Nervous System and Formation of Brain Nuclei in the Developing Mouse.

Type I and type II classical cadherins comprise a family of cell adhesion molecules that regulate cell sorting and tissue separation by forming specific homo and heterophilic bonds. Factors that affect cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion include cadherin binding affinity and expression level. This study examines the expression pattern of type I cadherins (, , , and ), type II cadherins (, , , , , , , , , and ), and the atypical cadherin 13 () during distinct morphogenetic events in the developing mouse central nervous system from embryonic day 11.

Autism throughout genetics: Perusal of the implication of ion channels.

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises a group of neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders characterized by deficits in social interactions, interpersonal communication, repetitive and stereotyped behaviors and may be associated with intellectual disabilities. The description of ASD as a synaptopathology highlights the importance of the synapse and the implication of ion channels in the etiology of these disorders.

Methods: A narrative and critical review of the relevant papers from 1982 to 2017 known by the authors was conducted.

Down-regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by Cacnb4.

The β isoform of the β-subunits of voltage-gated calcium channel regulates cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. Herein we show that coexpression of the β-subunit with actors of the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in a hepatoma cell line inhibits Wnt-responsive gene transcription and decreases cell division, in agreement with the role of the Wnt pathway in cell proliferation. β-subunit-mediated inhibition of Wnt signaling is observed in the presence of LiCl, an inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK3) that promotes β-catenin translocation to the nucleus.

The β subunit of the voltage-gated calcium channel (Cacnb4) regulates the rate of cell proliferation in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells.

The β subunits of Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel (VGCC) are cytosolic proteins that interact with the VGCC pore -forming subunit and participate in the trafficking of the channel to the cell membrane and in ion influx regulation. β subunits also exert functions independently of their binding to VGCC by translocation to the cell nucleus including the control of gene expression. Mutations of the neuronal Cacnb4 (β) subunit are linked to human neuropsychiatric disorders including epilepsy and intellectual disabilities.