Cell adhesion molecule 2

Cell adhesion molecule 2 (CADM2) is a nectin-like adhesion molecule that mediates homo- and heterophilic cell–cell interactions, promoting cell aggregation and synapse organization (UniProt: Q8N3J6). The protein preferentially binds oligodendrocytes and plays a role in regulated trans-synaptic adhesion. Additionally, CADM2 can be exploited by measles virus to induce cell fusion in infected neurons through interaction with viral hemagglutinin.

CADM2 is expressed in neural tissues where it contributes to synaptic structure and function. The protein has no documented genetic disease associations in UniProt, but is studied in the context of neurological conditions involving synaptic dysfunction.

In Alzheimer's disease, CADM2 is significantly downregulated in post-mortem AD brain tissue compared to age-matched controls (Chaparral AD proteomics). The protein shows a mean log2 fold-change of −0.462 across subcellular fractions in human post-mortem AD brain profiled by quantitative proteomics. This downregulation may reflect compromised synaptic adhesion and organization in the AD brain.