Identification of a neuronal cell surface molecule, plexin, in mice.

We searched for mouse homologues of the cell adhesion protein plexin which was originally found in Xenopus, and obtained a cDNA encoding a plexin-like protein. We referred to this protein as mouse plexin 1. The overall amino acid identity between mouse plexin 1 and Xenopus plexin was 84%. As in the Xenopus plexin, the extracellular segment of mouse plexin 1 protein possessed three cysteine-rich domains which showed significant homology with the cysteine-rich domain of the c-Met proto-oncogene protein product (c-Met protein) and Met-like receptor protein tyrosine kinases. Northern blot analysis indicated that mouse plexin 1 was predominantly expressed in the brain.