The protein encoded by this gene is a neuron-specific protein. The similar protein in pig enhances neuroblastoma cell differentiation in vitro and may be involved in neuronal differentiation in vivo. Multiple pseudogenes have been reported for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]
Forensic Context
A study in humans demonstrated that the CEND1 transcript was downregulated -1.4-fold in the dopamine cell-enriched ventral midbrain of chronic cocaine abusers compared to controls and was identified as a diagnostic biomarker capable of assigning subjects to the cocaine-abusing cohort [Bannon et al. DOI:10.1038/Npp.2014.70].