| Teneurin | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | |||||||||
| Symbol | Teneurin | ||||||||
| Pfam | PF06484 | ||||||||
| InterPro | IPR009471 | ||||||||
| Membranome | 1168 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Teneurins are a family of phylogenetically conserved single-pass transmembrane glycoproteins expressed during pattern formation and morphogenesis.[1] The name refers to "ten-a" (from "tenascin-like protein, accessory") and "neurons", the primary site of teneurin expression. Ten-m refers to tenascin-like protein major.
Teneurins are highly conserved between Drosophila, C. elegans and vertebrates. In each species, they are expressed by a subset of neurons as well as at sites of pattern formation and morphogenesis. In Drosophila, a teneurin known as ten-m or Odz is a pair-rule gene, and its expression is required for normal development. The knockdown of teneurin (ten-1) expression in C. elegans with RNAi leads to abnormal neuronal pathfinding and abnormal development of the gonads.[2]
The intracellular domain of some, if not all, teneurins can be cleaved and transported to the cell nucleus, where it proposed to act as a transcription factor. A peptide derived from the terminus of the extracellular domain shares structural homology with certain neuropeptides.
There are four teneurin genes in vertebrates, named teneurin-1 through -4. Other names found in the literature include Odz-1 through -4 and Tenm-1 through -4.