Embryonic neural cell adhesion molecules on human natural killer cells

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The neural cell adhesion molecules (NCAM) are surface glycoproteins that were first described in brain tissue. NCAM mediate adhesion in a variety of cell‐cell interactions. In the present study we show that the so‐called “embryonic” NCAM, i.e., the highly polysialylated forms of these proteins, are expressed on natural killer cells and some CD3+ cells in man. Homotypic binding of NCAM, believed to be of importance for cell‐cell adhesion in neural tissues, appears not to be essential for NK cell‐mediated killing. Yet, NCAM might be involved in NK cell migration, homing or related functions.