The role of cell adhesion molecules in axon growth and guidance.

During development, axons elongate along the correct path toward their final targets. Growing axons maintain adhesive interactions with specific environmental cues via cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). The axon-environment adhesion must be dynamically controlled, both temporally and spatially, to enable the axons to navigate and migrate correctly. In this way, CAMs play a central role in mediating contact-dependent regulation of motile behavior of the axons. This chapter examines the mechanisms underlying how CAMs control axon growth and guidance, with a particular focus on intracellular signaling, trafficking, and interactions with the actin cytoskeleton.