AKNA is a

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

that in humans is encoded by the ''AKNA''

gene In biology, the word gene (from , ; "...Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a ba ...

. The protein is an AT-hook

transcription factor In molecular biology, a transcription factor (TF) (or sequence-specific DNA-binding factor) is a protein that controls the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA, by binding to a specific DNA sequence. The fu ...

which contains an AT-hook binding motif. The protein is expressed as different

isoforms A protein isoform, or "protein variant", is a member of a set of highly similar proteins that originate from a single gene or gene family and are the result of genetic differences. While many perform the same or similar biological roles, some isof ...

. AKNA is known to

upregulate In the biological context of organisms' production of gene products, downregulation is the process by which a cell decreases the quantity of a cellular component, such as RNA or protein, in response to an external stimulus. The complementary pro ...

expression of the receptor

CD40 Cluster of differentiation 40, CD40 is a costimulatory protein found on antigen-presenting cells and is required for their activation. The binding of CD154 (CD40L) on T helper cell, TH cells to CD40 activates antigen presenting cells and induces a ...

and its ligand CD40L/CD154. AKNA is an essential part in the construction, organization, and proliferation of the centrosomal microtubules in order to maintain the

neural stem cell Neural stem cells (NSCs) are self-renewing, multipotent cells that firstly generate the radial glial progenitor cells that generate the neurons and glia of the nervous system of all animals during embryonic development. Some neural progenitor ste ...

s during the process of

neurogenesis Neurogenesis is the process by which nervous system cells, the neurons, are produced by neural stem cells (NSCs). It occurs in all species of animals except the porifera (sponges) and placozoans. Types of NSCs include neuroepithelial cells (NECs) ...

. Due to these functions AKNA plays in the centrosomal microtubules it also has an active role in delamination during the formation of the

subventricular zone The subventricular zone (SVZ) is a region situated on the outside wall of each lateral ventricle of the vertebrate brain. It is present in both the embryonic and adult brain. In embryonic life, the SVZ refers to a secondary proliferative zone ...

, and the regulation of the amount of access provided to cells in this zone. Furthermore, because of AKNA's role in the centrosomal microtubules it also plays a part in the management of the modification of epithelial cells losing their polarity and attachment, and transforming into the mobile mesenchymal stem cells, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). This occurs because the alongside the increase in centrosomal microtubules both nucleation factors and minus end stabilizers are also increasing, causing the apical endfoot to have its constriction regulated because this affects the microtubules found at

adherens junction Adherens junctions (or zonula adherens, intermediate junction, or "belt desmosome") are protein complexes that occur at cell–cell junctions, cell–matrix junctions in epithelial and endothelial tissues, usually more basal than tight junctions. ...

Etymology

AKNA derives its name from the word "mother" in Inuit and Mayan language, and it's link to their mythology. For in Inuit and Mayan culture

AKNA AKNA is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''AKNA'' gene. The protein is an AT-hook transcription factor which contains an AT-hook binding motif. The protein is expressed as different isoforms. AKNA is known to upregulate expression of the ...

is the "goddess of fertility and childbirth". This connection is made from the observations of what occurs to mice that are missing the AKNA protein. In mice lacking AKNA their body very rapidly enters an increasing weakened state, very similarly to as if they did not have a mother to support them, and are not likely to live longer than 10 day's.

In humans

The AKNA protein in humans has been found to be associated with

cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal ...

. This is due to it being located on the 9q32 chromosome, in the FRA9E region. It is not uncommon for this chromosome to play a role in

neoplasm A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

and inflammatory diseases because how frequently it undergoes loss of function.

References

Molecular genetics {{gene-9-stub