Leiomodin 1 (LMOD1)

The leiomodin 1 protein has a putative membrane-spanning region and 2 types of tandemly repeated blocks. The transcript is expressed in all tissues tested, with the highest levels in thyroid, eye muscle, skeletal muscle, and ovary. Increased expression of leiomodin 1 may be linked to Graves' disease and thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.

LMOD1 is expressed as a 3.9-kb mRNA in normal thyroid and eye orbital muscle. The predicted 572-amino acid protein has a putative membrane-spanning region and 2 types of tandemly repeated blocks. Western blot analysis of thyroid tissue showed that the LMOD1 protein has a molecular mass of 64 kD. Sera from 8 of 34 patients with autoimmune thyroid disease contained antibodies to LMOD1; all 12 normal and nonautoimmune individuals were negative.