Absent In Melanoma 1 (AIM1)

AIM1 (absent in melanoma-1) is a novel gene whose expression is altered in association with tumor suppression in a model of human melanoma . Chromosome banding analysis of human malignant melanoma documented nonrandom alteration in chromosome 6.

All known members of this superfamily contain 2 or 4 characteristic motifs arranged in 1 or 2 symmetrical domains. AIM1, in contrast, contains 12 beta-gamma motifs, suggesting a 6-domain structure resembling a trimer of beta- or gamma-crystallin subunits. The structure of the AIM1 gene shows remarkable similarity to the beta-crystallin genes, with homologous introns delineating equivalent protein structural units.