Chondrolectin 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, res ...
that in humans is encoded by the ''CHODL''
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 b ...
.
Mouse chondrolectin is encoded by ''Chodl''.
Structure
Chondrolectin is a
type I membrane protein
A single-pass membrane protein also known as single-spanning protein or bitopic protein is a transmembrane protein that spans the lipid bilayer only once. These proteins may constitute up to 50% of all transmembrane proteins, depending on the orga ...
with a carbohydrate recognition domain characteristic of
C-type lectin
A C-type lectin (CLEC) is a type of carbohydrate-binding protein known as a lectin. The C-type designation is from their requirement for calcium for binding. Proteins that contain C-type lectin domains have a diverse range of functions including c ...
s in its
extracellular
This glossary of biology terms is a list of definitions of fundamental terms and concepts used in biology, the study of life and of living organisms. It is intended as introductory material for novices; for more specific and technical definitions ...
portion.
In other proteins, this domain is involved in endocytosis of glycoproteins and exogenous sugar-bearing pathogens.
This protein has been shown to localise to the perinucleus.
Function
The exact function of chondrolectin is unknown but it has been show to be a marker of fast
motor neurons
A motor neuron (or motoneuron or efferent neuron) is a neuron whose cell body is located in the motor cortex, brainstem or the spinal cord, and whose axon (fiber) projects to the spinal cord or outside of the spinal cord to directly or indirectly ...
in mice,
and is involved in motor neuron development and growth in
zebrafish
The zebrafish (''Danio rerio'') is a freshwater fish belonging to the minnow family (Cyprinidae) of the order Cypriniformes. Native to South Asia, it is a popular aquarium fish, frequently sold under the trade name zebra danio (and thus often ca ...
(''Danio rerio'').
Furthermore, human chondrolectin has been shown to localise to motor neurons within the
spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone). The backbone encloses the central canal of the sp ...
.
Clinical significance
Chondrolectin is alternatively spliced in the spinal cord of mouse models
of the neuromuscular disease,
spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which predominantly affects
lower motor neurons
Lower motor neurons (LMNs) are motor neurons located in either the anterior grey column, anterior nerve roots (spinal lower motor neurons) or the cranial nerve nuclei of the brainstem and cranial nerves with motor function (cranial nerve lower m ...
.
Increased levels of chondrolectin in a zebrafish model of SMA results in significant improvements in disease-related motor neuron defects.
References
External links
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Further reading
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