Cysteine Rich Protein 3 (CRIP3)

Thymocytes interact with various subpopulations of thymic epithelial cells (TECs) at different stages of their development. The three alternative species of m17TLP are found strictly in the thymic stroma. This protein is expressed on a subpopulation of TECs and TNCs.

The human ortholog of m17TLP, located on chromosome 6 (h6LIMo), is expressed in most tissues, but not in skeletal muscle. The sequence comprising the genomic structure suggests that CRP2 is the closest known relative of m17TLP. Although the human and mouse nucleotide sequences are 88-97% homologous, this homology is reduced to 47% in the promoter regions, which strongly suggests that their differential expression is related to their promoter regulatory activity.