Immunoglobulin Superfamily CAMs

The Ig superfamily CAMs are calcium-independent transmembrane glycoproteins. Each Ig superfamily CAM has an extracellular domain, which contains several Ig-like intra-chain disulfide-bonded loops with conserved cysteine residues, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular domain that interacts with the cytoskeleton. Typically, cell adhesion molecules bind integrins or other Ig superfamily CAMs. The neuronal CAMs have been implicated in neuronal patterning. Endothelial cell adhesion molecules play an important role in immune response and inflammation. Members of the Ig superfamily include the intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAMs), vascular-cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1), platelet-endothelial-cell adhesion molecule (PECAM-1), neural-cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), and more.