Lipocalin 10 (LCN10)

Members of the lipocalin family, such as LCN10, have a common structure consisting of an 8-stranded antiparallel beta-barrel that forms a cup-shaped ligand-binding pocket or calyx. Lipocalins generally bind small hydrophobic ligands and transport them to specific cells.Suzuki et al. (2004) cloned mouse Lcn10, which encodes a deduced 182-amino acid protein. They identified human LCN10 by database analysis. Northern blot analysis detected Lcn10 expression in mouse epididymis only, and epididymal expression began at 3 weeks of age. In situ hybridization detected Lcn10 in the epithelium lining the initial segment and segment 2 of mouse epididymis. Suzuki et al. (2004) found that expression of Lcn10 in mouse epididymis disappeared after castration and was only partially restored by testosterone administration.