This gene encodes a member of a family of proteins that function in the nervous system as receptors and cell adhesion molecules. Extensive alternative splicing and the use of alternative promoters results in multiple transcript variants and protein isoforms for this gene, but the full-length nature of many of these variants has not been determined. Transcripts that initiate from an upstream promoter encode alpha isoforms, which contain epidermal growth factor-like (EGF-like) sequences and laminin G domains. Transcripts initiating from the downstream promoter encode beta isoforms, which lack EGF-like sequences. Genetic variation at this locus has been associated with a range of behavioral phenotypes, including alcohol dependence and autism spectrum disorder. [provided by RefSeq, Dec 2012]