CKLF Like MARVEL Transmembrane Domain Containing Protein 3 (CMTM3)

CMTM3 belongs to the chemokine-like factor gene superfamily, a novel family that is similar to the chemokine and the transmembrane 4 superfamilies of signaling molecules. This gene is one of several chemokine-like factor genes located in a cluster on chromosome 16. Alternatively spliced transcript variants containing different 5' UTRs, but encoding the same protein, have been identified.

One variant encodes a 182-amino acid protein with 3 transmembrane segments. CKLFSF3 shares almost 40% sequence identity with CKLFSF5. Northern blot analysis detected a major transcript of 2.1 kb expressed in leukocytes, placenta, and testis. A smaller transcript was also expressed in leukocytes and testis.