The Nectin family is known as cell-cell adhesion molecules and comprises four members in this family: nectin-1, nectin-2, nectin-3 and nectin-4 which are encoded by PVRL1, PVRL2, PVRL3, and PVRL4 genes respectively¹. They are Ca²⁺-independent immunoglobulin-like CAMs and are able to trans-interact¹.They are localized at adherens junctions between two neighboring cells and binds to afadin through their C-terminal region¹.

Nectins, apart from a secreted nectin-1γ, exhibit three immunoglobulin-like loops (one V type and two C2 type) in their extracellular region, a single trans membrane segment and a cytoplasmic tail. Nectins first form a cis-homo-dimer which later on undergoes lateral cluster formation on the cell surface¹. Nectins regulate a variety of cellular functions in addition to cell-cell junction formation such as cell polarity, movement, proliferation, differentiation, and survival¹.

The PVRL2 gene (which encodes nectin-2) encodes two mRNA isoforms of 3 kb and 4.4 kb both widely expressed in various human tissues including hematopoietic cells of the myelo-monocytic and megakaryocytic lineages and detected also on the surface of endothelial cells².

Nectin-2 acts as mediator of herpes simplex virus invasion into host cell. A single nucleotide polymorphism in PVRL2 shows an association with later onset of Alzheimers Disease³.