NCAM: structural diversity, function and regulation of expression.

NCAM is a large family of structurally closely related proteins with cell-cell adhesive properties and a temporo-spatially regulated expression throughout development. This review covers recent work on NCAM with an emphasis on the still open questions of the full extent of structural diversity and the mechanism whereby it arises, the chemistry and functional consequences of the binding event and the intricacies of the developmental regulation of NCAM, all of which have ramifications in its likely role as an effector of morphogenesis.