Mab21 Like Protein 2 (MAB21L2)

MAB21L2 is similar to the C. elegans MAB-21 cell fate-determining gene, a downstream target of transforming growth factor-beta signaling. It is thought that this gene may be involved in neural development. The protein encoded by this gene is primarily nuclear, although some cytoplasmic localization has been observed.

Mariani et al. (1999) cloned and characterized the human MAB21L2 gene and the murine Mab21l1 and Mab21l2 genes, all of which are homologs of the C. elegans mab21 gene. The 2 mammalian genes, which encode 41-kD nuclear basic proteins of 359 amino acids, are expressed in partially overlapping territories in the embryonic brain, eye, and limbs, as well as in neural crest derivatives.