NCDN explained

Neurochondrin (also known as its murine homologue, Norbin) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the NCDN gene.^{[1] [2]}

This gene encodes a leucine-rich cytoplasmic protein, which is highly similar to a mouse protein norbin that negatively regulates Ca/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II phosphorylation and may be essential for spatial learning processes. Several alternatively spliced transcript variants of this gene have been described.^[2]

Norbin can modulate signaling activity and expression of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5; modulating mice with targeted deletion of NCDN in the brain have phenotypic traits usually found in the rodent models of schizophrenia, including disruptions in prepulse inhibition.^[3] Furthermore, norbin protein expression is altered in the schizophrenia brain.^[4] Norbin also plays a role in regulating antimicrobial responses in neutrophils.^[5]

Neurochondrin proteins induce hydroxyapatite resorptive activity in bone marrow cells resistant to bafilomycin A1, an inhibitor of macrophage- and osteoclast-mediated resorption. Expression of the gene is localised to chondrocyte, osteoblast, and osteocyte in the bone and to the hippocampus and Purkinje cell layer of cerebellum in the brain.^[6]

Further reading

• Dateki M, Horii T, Kasuya Y, Mochizuki R, Nagao Y, Ishida J, Sugiyama F, Tanimoto K, Yagami K, Imai H, Fukamizu A . 6 . Neurochondrin negatively regulates CaMKII phosphorylation, and nervous system-specific gene disruption results in epileptic seizure . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 280 . 21 . 20503–20508 . May 2005 . 15790563 . 10.1074/jbc.M414033200 . free .
• Mochizuki R, Dateki M, Yanai K, Ishizuka Y, Amizuka N, Kawashima H, Koga Y, Ozawa H, Fukamizu A . 6 . Targeted disruption of the neurochondrin/norbin gene results in embryonic lethality . Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications . 310 . 4 . 1219–1226 . October 2003 . 14559245 . 10.1016/j.bbrc.2003.09.153 .
• Tchernev VT, Mansfield TA, Giot L, Kumar AM, Nandabalan K, Li Y, Mishra VS, Detter JC, Rothberg JM, Wallace MR, Southwick FS, Kingsmore SF . 6 . The Chediak-Higashi protein interacts with SNARE complex and signal transduction proteins . Molecular Medicine . 8 . 1 . 56–64 . January 2002 . 11984006 . 2039936 . 10.1007/bf03402003 .
• Ohoka Y, Hirotani M, Sugimoto H, Fujioka S, Furuyama T, Inagaki S . Semaphorin 4C, a transmembrane semaphorin, [corrected] associates with a neurite-outgrowth-related protein, SFAP75 . Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications . 280 . 1 . 237–243 . January 2001 . 11162505 . 10.1006/bbrc.2000.4080 .
• Mochizuki R, Ishizuka Y, Yanai K, Murakami K, Koga Y, Fukamizu A . Corrigendum to 'Molecular cloning and expression of human neurochondrin-1 and -2'(1) . Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Gene Structure and Expression . 1490 . 3 . 367–368 . February 2000 . 10684983 . 10.1016/s0167-4781(99)00236-5 . free .
• Mochizuki R, Ishizuka Y, Yanai K, Koga Y, Fukamizu A, Murakami K . Molecular cloning and expression of human neurochondrin-1 and -2 . Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Gene Structure and Expression . 1446 . 3 . 397–402 . September 1999 . 10524216 . 10.1016/s0167-4781(99)00120-7 .
• Nagase T, Ishikawa K, Miyajima N, Tanaka A, Kotani H, Nomura N, Ohara O . Prediction of the coding sequences of unidentified human genes. IX. The complete sequences of 100 new cDNA clones from brain which can code for large proteins in vitro . DNA Research . 5 . 1 . 31–39 . February 1998 . 9628581 . 10.1093/dnares/5.1.31 . free .

Notes and References

1. Istvánffy R, Vogt Weisenhorn DM, Floss T, Wurst W . Expression of neurochondrin in the developing and adult mouse brain . Development Genes and Evolution . 214 . 4 . 206–209 . April 2004 . 15007648 . 10.1007/s00427-004-0396-2 . 45134242 .
2. Web site: Entrez Gene: NCDN neurochondrin.
3. Wang H, Westin L, Nong Y, Birnbaum S, Bendor J, Brismar H, Nestler E, Aperia A, Flajolet M, Greengard P . 6 . Norbin is an endogenous regulator of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 signaling . Science . 326 . 5959 . 1554–1557 . December 2009 . 20007903 . 2796550 . 10.1126/science.1178496 . 2009Sci...326.1554W .
4. Matosin N, Fernandez-Enright F, Fung SJ, Lum JS, Engel M, Andrews JL, Huang XF, Weickert CS, Newell KA . 6 . Alterations of mGluR5 and its endogenous regulators Norbin, Tamalin and Preso1 in schizophrenia: towards a model of mGluR5 dysregulation . Acta Neuropathologica . 130 . 1 . 119–129 . July 2015 . 25778620 . 10.1007/s00401-015-1411-6 . 12360955 .
5. Pantarelli C, Pan D, Chetwynd S, Stark AK, Hornigold K, Machin P, Crossland L, Cleary SJ, Baker MJ, Hampson E, Mandel A, Segonds-Pichon A, Walker R, van 't Veer C, Riffo-Vasquez Y, Okkenhaug K, Pitchford S, Welch HC . 6 . The GPCR adaptor protein norbin suppresses the neutrophil-mediated immunity of mice to pneumococcal infection . Blood Advances . 5 . 16 . 3076–3091 . August 2021 . 34402884 . 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020002782 . 8405187 .
6. Ishiduka Y, Mochizuki R, Yanai K, Takatsuka M, Nonomura T, Niida S, Horiguchi H, Maeda N, Fukamizu A . 6 . Induction of hydroxyapatite resorptive activity in bone marrow cell populations resistant to bafilomycin A1 by a factor with restricted expression to bone and brain, neurochondrin . Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research . 1450 . 1 . 92–98 . May 1999 . 10231559 . 10.1016/s0167-4889(99)00039-7 . free .