Myelin And Lymphocyte Protein 2 (MAL2)

MAL2 encodes a multispan transmembrane protein belonging to the MAL proteolipid family. The protein is a component of lipid rafts and, in polarized cells, it primarily localizes to endosomal structures beneath the apical membrane. It is required for transcytosis, an intracellular transport pathway used to deliver membrane-bound proteins and exogenous cargos from the basolateral to the apical surface.

MAL2 encodes a deduced 176-amino acid protein with 4 transmembrane domains and a (Q/Y)GWVM(F/Y) sequence found in all known MAL-like sequences. The MAL2 protein shares 35.8% sequence identity with MAL, a proteolipid required in apical vesicle transport, and 34.5% with BENE.