This gene encodes a cell adhesion protein which is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. The encoded protein is involved in cell-to-cell interactions as well as cell-matrix interactions during development and differentiation. The encoded protein has been shown to be involved in development of the nervous system, and for cells involved in the expansion of T cells and dendritic cells which play an important role in immune surveillance. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Jun 2011],