The Role of the Immunoglobulin Superfamily of Cell Adhesion Molecules in Intellectual Disability
- 1School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Abstract
Immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are cell surface glycoproteins that play critical roles during multiple stages of synapse formation, including axon and dendrite growth and guidance, target recognition, axo-dendritic contact formation and its maturation into a functional synapse. Intellectual disability is a condition characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviors. Growing evidence indicates that deficits in synapse formation underlie the pathogenesis of intellectual disability. In this review, we discuss studies showing that levels and functions of IgSF CAMs are affected in various syndromes and disorders associated with intellectual disability, including Fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, L1 syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. We highlight functional studies in cellular and animal models showing that changes in levels and functions of IgSF CAMs impair synapse formation and induce learning and behavioral abnormalities resembling those found in people with intellectual disability. Together, these studies indicate that IgSF CAMs need to be considered as important therapeutic targets for treating intellectual disability and their functions need to be assessed when new treatments of this condition are developed.
Related
- Microduplication of the ARID1A gene causes intellectual disability with recognizable syndromic features
- Reduction of forebrain interneurons alters cellular organization and cortical neurogenesis in a mouse model of X-linked intellectual disability
- Hyperphosphatasia With Intellectual Disability (Mabry Syndrome) due to Compound Heterozygous PIGO Variants: First Molecularly Characterized Case in French Guiana: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.
- Case Report: From intellectual disability to fatal cytokine storm: long-term follow-up reveals a novel systemic phenotype in METTL23-related disorder
- Practice leadership development in intellectual disability services: A qualitative study of practice leaders’ experiences
BibTeX
@article{zaman2026role,
title = {{The Role of the Immunoglobulin Superfamily of Cell Adhesion Molecules in Intellectual Disability}},
author = {Nishat Zaman and Karina Bui and Vladimir Sytnyk},
journal = {Cells},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/cells15191801},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/15/19/1801},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The Role of the Immunoglobulin Superfamily of Cell Adhesion Molecules in Intellectual Disability
AU - Nishat Zaman
AU - Karina Bui
AU - Vladimir Sytnyk
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
JO - Cells
DO - 10.3390/cells15191801
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/15/19/1801
AB - Immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) are cell surface glycoproteins that play critical roles during multiple stages of synapse formation, including axon and dendrite growth and guidance, target recognition, axo-dendritic contact formation and its maturation into a functional synapse. Intellectual disability is a condition characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviors. Growing evidence indicates that deficits in synapse formation underlie the pathogenesis of intellectual disability. In this review, we discuss studies showing that levels and functions of IgSF CAMs are affected in various syndromes and disorders associated with intellectual disability, including Fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, L1 syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. We highlight functional studies in cellular and animal models showing that changes in levels and functions of IgSF CAMs impair synapse formation and induce learning and behavioral abnormalities resembling those found in people with intellectual disability. Together, these studies indicate that IgSF CAMs need to be considered as important therapeutic targets for treating intellectual disability and their functions need to be assessed when new treatments of this condition are developed.
SN - 2073-4409
ER -