Norbin: A promising central nervous system regulator

Norbin, a neurite-outgrowth promoting protein, has been found to interact with and regulate several membrane proteins, including metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5). The disruption of both Norbin alleles leads to early embryonic death between 3.5 and 6.5 day post coitus.1 Forebrain specific Norbin knockout (KO) mice are defective in synaptic plasticity,2 an interesting feature considering that Norbin was initially discovered in the context of chemical-induced long term potentiation (LTP),3 a form of synaptic plasticity extensively studied in the context of learning and memory.4 The behavioral phenotypes associated with Norbin conditional KO suggest reduced mGluR5 function. Because of its fundamental functions, Norbin is emerging as a key neuronal regulator. The aim of the present review is to summarize current knowledge about Norbin while emphasizing its role in the nervous system.