¹Division of Neuroscience Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Correspondence: SH Fatemi, MD, PhD, Division of Neuroscience Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School, 420 Delaware Street, MMC 392, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. E-mail: fatem002@umn.edu

Received 31 August 2004; Revised 22 September 2004; Accepted 23 September 2004; Published online 7 December 2004.

Abstract

Reelin glycoprotein is a secretory serine protease with dual roles in mammalian brain: embryologically, it guides neurons and radial glial cells to their corrected positions in the developing brain; in adult brain, Reelin is involved in a signaling pathway which underlies neurotransmission, memory formation and synaptic plasticity. Disruption of Reelin signaling pathway by mutations and selective hypermethylation of the Reln gene promoter or following various pre- or postnatal insults may lead to cognitive deficits present in neuropsychiatric disorders like autism or schizophrenia.