Description
Coxsackie virus and adenovirus receptor is a protein that in humans is encoded by the CXADR gene, also known as CAR, CVB3-binding protein, and Coxsackievirus B-adenovirus receptor. The cDNA encodes a predicted 365-amino acid polypeptide that contains a single transmembrane domain and is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. By Northern blot analysis, the highest expression of 1.4-kb and 6-kb transcripts are in pancreas, brain, heart, small intestine, testis, and prostate, lower expression in liver and lung, and no expression in kidney, placenta, peripheral blood leukocytes, thymus, and spleen. In comparison, mouse CAR showed highest expression in liver, and lower levels in kidney, heart, lung, and brain. The protein encoded by this gene is a type I membrane receptor for group B coxsackie viruses and subgroup C adenoviruses. Pseudogenes of this gene are found on chromosomes 15, 18, and 21. CAR is strongly expressed in the developing central nervous system. It functions as a homophilic and also as a heterophilic cell adhesion molecule through its interactions with extracellular matrix glycoproteins, such as: fibronectin, agrin, laminin-1 and tenascin-R