Alpha-2-Glycoprotein 1, Zinc Binding (aZGP1)

AZGP1 expresses a soluble protein that stimulates lipolysis, induces a reduction in body fat in mice, is associated with the cachexia related to cancer, and is known to be expressed in secretory cells of lung epithelium. In 2009, it was found that smoking increases expression of this gene, which is why smoking cessation leads to weight gain.

AZGP1 gene spans over 9.7 kb and that its overall organization and nucleotide sequence resemble those of the first 4 exons of class I MHC genes. However, it differs from those genes by its lack of coding information for transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains typical of MHC genes, which is consistent with its presence as a soluble protein in various physiologic and pathologic fluids. The human genome also contains a putative AZGP1 pseudogene.