Protocadherin-9 (PCDH9) is a member of the protocadherin family that belongs to the cadherin superfamily. Protocadherins are calcium-dependent adhesion proteins and have been implicated in neural cell-cell interactions. They are abundantly expressed in the central nervous system during embryonic development and in adulthood (PMID: 24214103). PCDH9 is a single-pass type I membrane protein that contains seven cadherin motifs in its extracellular domain. It might be involved in the formation of specific neural circuits during neural development (PMID: 22982106).

What is the molecular weight of PCDH9?

The calculated molecular weight of PCDH9 is 136 kDa.

What are the isoforms of PCDH9?

Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been identified for the PCDH9 gene; a short transcript, a standard transcript, a transcript with additional exon 2, and another transcript with variant exon 3 (PMID: 15095963).

What is PCDH9's involvement in neural development?

The family of protocadherins is essential for neural development as mutations in these proteins give rise to neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and epilepsy. However, the exact mechanisms of loss of function and the role of PCDH9 remain to be fully characterized (PMID: 22982106).