Neuron navigator 1

Neuron navigator 1 (NAV1) is a 1877-amino-acid protein that may be involved in neuronal migration (UniProt: Q8NEY1). Its precise molecular mechanisms remain incompletely characterized, but its name suggests a role in axonal guidance and neuronal positioning during development.

NAV1 is expressed in neuronal tissues where it may contribute to developmental processes critical for proper brain circuitry formation. UniProt records no primary disease associations for this protein, though its involvement in neuronal migration implicates it in processes relevant to nervous system development and organization.

In Alzheimer's disease, NAV1 is downregulated in post-mortem AD brain tissue compared to age-matched controls, with a mean log2 fold-change of −0.30 (Chaparral AD proteomics). This reduction was observed across one subcellular fraction in a TMT-labeled, data-dependent acquisition proteomics study of four subcellular compartments (P2, P3, S2, S3). The functional consequence of decreased NAV1 levels in AD pathology remains to be determined.