GTPase, IMAP Family, Member 8 (GIMAP8)

GIMAP8 encodes a protein belonging to the GTP-binding superfamily and to the immuno-associated nucleotide (IAN) subfamily of nucleotide-binding proteins. In humans, the IAN subfamily genes are located in a cluster at 7q36.1.

There is a growing family of novel GTPases conserved among higher plants and vertebrates, abbreviated as AIG1, IAP, IMAP, and IAN, respectively. Chromosome 7q36.1 contains, within 300 kb, a gimap gene cluster with seven functional genes and one pseudogene (hgimap3). The six genes hgimap1, hgimap2, hgimap4, hgimap5, hgimap6, and hgimap7 encode 33-46 kDa proteins with one GTP-binding domain, whereas hgimap8 encodes a very unusual 75-kDa protein with three GTP-binding domains. All hgimap genes except hgimap2 have orthologs in the mouse.