Involved in controlling patterning and neuronal circuit formation at the laminar, cellular, subcellular and synaptic levels. Promotes neurite outgrowth of both axons and dendrites. Expression is restricted primarily to neurons of the CNS, particularly in the dorsal thalamus, olfactory bulb and inferior colliculus. Isoform 1A and isoform 1D are the major products in adult brain. Detected in the midbrain and the hindbrain regions as early as 12 dpc. In the deep nucleus of the cerebellum, as well as in the inferior colliculus and the thalamic regions, expression is detected at 14 dpc, persists to postnatal day 1 and is down-regulated by postnatal day 12. At 14 dpc, expression is segmented in dorsal thalamus and pretectum in the midbrain and is regulated in a layer-specific manner in the superior colliculus. In the olfactory bulb, expression is detected at 14 dpc, increases by postnatal day 1 and is maintained at a high level through postnatal day 21 and into adulthood. The laminin N-terminal domain mediates 1:1 binding to NGL ligand with sub-micromolar affinity. Three NGL-binding loops mediate discrimination for LRRC4C/NGL1 among other NGLs by binding specifically to its LRR repeats. This specificity drives the sorting of a mixed population of molecules into discrete cell surface subdomains (By similarity). N-glycosylated. Extended N-terminus.