Semaphorins are a large family of conserved, secreted and membrane associated proteins which possess a semaphoring (Sema) domain and a PSI domain (found in plexins, semaphorins and integrins) in the N-terminal extracellular portion. Semaphorins maintain cell motility and attachment in axon guidance, immune cell maintenance, vascular growth and tumour movement.[6]
Based on sequence and structural similarities, semaphorins are put into eight classes: invertebrates contain classes 1 and 2, viruses have class V, and vertebrates contain classes 3-7. Semaphorins serve as axon guidance ligands via multimeric receptor complexes, some (if not all) containing plexin proteins. This gene encodes a class 4 semaphorin. This gene and the gene for mitochondrial ribosomal protein L43 overlap at map location 10q24.31 and are transcribed in opposite directions.[5]
Holtmaat AJ, De Winter F, De Wit J, et al. (2002). "Semaphorins: Contributors to structural stability of hippocampal networks?". Plasticity in the Adult Brain: From Genes to Neurotherapy. Progress in Brain Research. Vol. 138. pp. 17–38. doi:10.1016/S0079-6123(02)38068-3. ISBN978-0-444-50981-9. PMID12432760. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
