ALCAM
Description
The ALCAM (activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 3.
CD166 antigen is a 100-105 kD typeI transmembrane glycoprotein that is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of proteins. In humans it is encoded by the ALCAM gene. It is also called CD166 (cluster of differentiation 166), MEMD, SC-1/DM-GRASP/BEN in the chicken, and KG-CAM in the rat. Some literature sources have also cited it as the CD6 ligand (CD6L). It is expressed on activated T cells, activated monocytes, epithelial cells, fibroblasts, neurons, melanoma cells, and also in sweat and sebaceous glands. CD166 protein expression is reported to be upregulated in a cell line deriving from a metastasizing melanom--a. CD166 plays an important role in mediating adhesion interactions between thymic epithelial cells and CD6+ cells during intrathymic T cell development. Recently, CD166 has also been used as a potential cancer stem cell marker.
ALCAM, also known as CD166, is a cell adhesion molecule that mediates both heterotypic cell-cell contacts through its interaction with CD6, and homotypic cell-cell contacts. It promotes T-cell activation and proliferation via its interactions with CD6 and contributes to the formation and maturation of the immunological synapse. ALCAM also mediates homotypic interactions with cells expressing ALCAM, acts as a ligand for the LILRB4 receptor, and is required for normal hematopoietic stem cell engraftment in the bone marrow. It mediates attachment of dendritic cells onto endothelial cells via homotypic interaction, inhibits endothelial cell migration and promotes endothelial tube formation, and is required for normal organization of the lymph vessel network. ALCAM plays a role in hematopoiesis and promotes in vitro osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. It also promotes neurite extension, axon growth, and axon guidance, mediating outgrowth and pathfinding for retinal ganglion cell axons. {ECO:0000250|UniProtKB:P42292, ECO:0000269|PubMed:15048703, ECO:0000269|PubMed:15294938, ECO:0000269|PubMed:15496415, ECO:0000269|PubMed:16352806, ECO:0000269|PubMed:24945728, ECO:0000269|PubMed:29263213, ECO:0000269|PubMed:7760007}
ALCAM is also known as CD166, MEMD.
