Autism Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Autism, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, causes, effects.

Reelin glycoprotein: structure, biology and roles in health and disease.

Fatemi SH

Division of Neuroscience Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware Street, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. fatem002@umn.edu

Reelin glycoprotein is a secretory serine protease with dual roles in mammalian brain: embryologically, it guides neurons and radial glial cells to their corrected positions in the developing brain; in adult brain, Reelin is involved in a signaling pathway which underlies neurotransmission, memory formation and synaptic plasticity. Disruption of Reelin signaling pathway by mutations and selective hypermethylation of the Reln gene promoter or following various pre- or postnatal insults may lead to cognitive deficits present in neuropsychiatric disorders like autism or schizophrenia.

Published 1 March 2005 in Mol Psychiatry, 10(3): 251-7.
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