MAP Kinase Activating Death Domain Protein (MADD)

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is a signaling molecule that interacts with one of two receptors on cells targeted for apoptosis. The apoptotic signal is transduced inside these cells by cytoplasmic adaptor proteins.

MADD is a death domain-containing adaptor protein that interacts with the death domain of TNF-alpha receptor 1 to activate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and propagate the apoptotic signal. It is membrane-bound and expressed at a higher level in neoplastic cells than in normal cells. Several transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been described for this gene.Highly expressed in fetal brain and kidney; adult testis, ovary, brain and heart. Isoform 5 is constitutively expressed in all tissues. Isoform 7 is expressed in fetal liver and in several cancer cell lines.