Neurexin-3-alpha is a protein that in humans is encoded by the NRXN3gene.[5][6][7]
Neurexins are a family of proteins that function in the vertebrate nervous system as cell adhesion molecules and receptors. They are encoded by several unlinked genes of which two, NRXN1 and NRXN3, are among the largest known human genes. Three of the genes (NRXN1-3) utilize two alternate promoters and include numerous alternatively spliced exons to generate thousands of distinct mRNA transcripts and protein isoforms. The majority of transcripts are produced from the upstream promoter and encode alpha-neurexin isoforms; a much smaller number of transcripts are produced from the downstream promoter and encode beta-neurexin isoforms. The alpha-neurexins contain epidermal growth factor-like (EGF-like) sequences and laminin G domains, and have been shown to interact with neurexophilins. The beta-neurexins lack EGF-like sequences and contain fewer laminin G domains than alpha-neurexins.[7] NRXN3 is thought to be involved in synaptic plasticity, and polymorphisms in NRXN3 have been linked to genetic predisposition towards a number of conditions such as alcohol or drug addiction,[8][9][10] or obesity.[11]
^"Human PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
^"Mouse PubMed Reference:". National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
^Rowen L, Young J, Birditt B, Kaur A, Madan A, Philipps DL, Qin S, Minx P, Wilson RK, Hood L, Graveley BR (Apr 2002). "Analysis of the human neurexin genes: alternative splicing and the generation of protein diversity". Genomics. 79 (4): 587–97. doi:10.1006/geno.2002.6734. PMID11944992.
^Occhi G, Rampazzo A, Beffagna G, Antonio Danieli G (Oct 2002). "Identification and characterization of heart-specific splicing of human neurexin 3 mRNA (NRXN3)". Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 298 (1): 151–5. doi:10.1016/S0006-291X(02)02403-8. PMID12379233.
^Heard-Costa NL, Zillikens MC, Monda KL, Johansson A, Harris TB, Fu M, Haritunians T, Feitosa MF, Aspelund T, Eiriksdottir G, Garcia M, Launer LJ, Smith AV, Mitchell BD, McArdle PF, Shuldiner AR, Bielinski SJ, Boerwinkle E, Brancati F, Demerath EW, Pankow JS, Arnold AM, Chen YD, Glazer NL, McKnight B, Psaty BM, Rotter JI, Amin N, Campbell H, Gyllensten U, Pattaro C, Pramstaller PP, Rudan I, Struchalin M, Vitart V, Gao X, Kraja A, Province MA, Zhang Q, Atwood LD, Dupuis J, Hirschhorn JN, Jaquish CE, O'Donnell CJ, Vasan RS, White CC, Aulchenko YS, Estrada K, Hofman A, Rivadeneira F, Uitterlinden AG, Witteman JC, Oostra BA, Kaplan RC, Gudnason V, O'Connell JR, Borecki IB, van Duijn CM, Cupples LA, Fox CS, North KE (June 2009). Dermitzakis ET (ed.). "NRXN3 Is a Novel Locus for Waist Circumference: A Genome-Wide Association Study from the CHARGE Consortium". PLOS Genetics. 5 (6): e1000539. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1000539. PMC2695005. PMID19557197.