Contactin-2 (D4M7G) Rabbit mAb #26372

Myelinated axons contain un-myelinated gaps called nodes of Ranvier. These regularly spaced gaps are critical for the proper propagation and rapid conduction of nerve impulses in the central and peripheral nervous system (1). The structure and organization of the nodes of Ranvier is dictated by interaction between the axon and glial cells (2). Voltage-gated sodium channels concentrated at the nodes and potassium channels clustered at the paranodes are responsible for propagation of the action potentials (3,4). Other proteins that contribute to the architecture and function of the nodes of Ranvier include βIV spectrin (5), ankyrin-G (6), and the L1 cell adhesion molecules, neurofascin and NrCAM (7,8).
Contactin-2 (CNTN2, TAG-1) is a glycosyl-phosphatidyl-inositol-anchored cell adhesion protein that is expressed at the juxtaparanodal region of the nodes of Ranvier by oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells, and axons (9,10). Contactin-2 plays an important role in the proper organization of the juxtaparanodes through interaction with Caspr2 and the recruitment of the Kv1.1 and Kv1.2 potassium channel subunits (11). Research studies indicate that contactin-2 is a substrate of β-secretase 1 (12,13). A deletion mutation in the corresponding CNTN2 gene results in familial adult myoclonic epilepsy-5, which is characterized by seizures, involuntary myoclonic muscle twitches, and mild intellectual disability (14).