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Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advancing Protein Engineering – Harnessing Evolution Through PRANCE and Lab Automation
Published on: January 12, 2024
A brief overview on IRM function across evolution
Martin Helmstädter1, Martin Höhne, Tobias B Huber
1Renal Division, University Hospital Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.
Abstract:
The description of the Rst protein by Karl-Friedrich Fischbach and colleagues was a milestone in the discovery of the irre cell recognition module (IRM). IRM proteins represent a family of immunoglobulin superfamily cell adhesion proteins that orchestrate intercellular adhesion and signaling events necessary for the development of various tissues. This review briefly summarizes the fundamental role of IRM proteins for neuronal wiring and filtration in organisms spanning the evolutionary distance from Drosophila (nephrocyte diaphragm) to humans (slit diaphragm).
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