Transmembrane Protein 181 (TMEM181)

The TMEM181 gene encodes a putative G protein-coupled receptor expressed on the cell surface. The transcript contains a repetitive element in its 3-prime end and the deduced protein contains 616 amino acids. RT-PCR ELISA detected very high TMEM181 expression in fetal liver and in adult lung, pancreas, testis, ovary, whole brain, and spinal cord, and in most specific adult brain regions examined. Robust expression was detected in all other tissues examined, including fetal brain and adult liver, heart, skeletal muscle, kidney, and spleen.

TMEM181 as a cell-surface N-linked glycoprotein. The expression of Tmem181 was highly upregulated in mouse embryonic stem cells following their differentiation into neural progenitor cells.