APC in the nervous system.

The APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) gene, which was first discovered as a colorectal cancer suppressor gene, is highly expressed in the nervous system. The Apc gene/Apc protein is deeply involved in brain development and morphogenesis. In the postnatal brain, Apc/Apc is involved in synaptic transmission, axon growth, and intracellular transport. Apc/Apc expressed in glial cells is involved in glial cell differentiation and neural circuit formation through glial cell functions. Reports from disease model animals and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) patients suggest that APC may be involved in the onset of autism, cognitive impairment, and schizophrenia.