Purkinje cell protein 4 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 ''PCP4''

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 ...

. Also known as PEP-19, PCP4 is a 7.6 kDa protein with an

IQ-motif The IQ calmodulin-binding motif is an amino acid sequence motif containing the following sequence: * ILVxxx Kxxx Kx ILVWY The term "IQ" refers to the first two amino acids of the motif: isoleucine (commonly) and glutamine (invariably). Functio ...

that binds to calmodulin (CaM). PCP4 is abundant in

Purkinje cells Purkinje cells, or Purkinje neurons, are a class of GABAergic inhibitory neurons located in the cerebellum. They are named after their discoverer, Czech anatomist Jan Evangelista Purkyně, who characterized the cells in 1839. Structure T ...

of the cerebellum, and plays an important role in synaptic plasticity.

Function

PCP4 knockout mice have been reported to exhibit impaired locomotor learning and markedly altered

synaptic plasticity In neuroscience, synaptic plasticity is the ability of synapses to strengthen or weaken over time, in response to increases or decreases in their activity. Since memories are postulated to be represented by vastly interconnected neural circuits ...

in cerebellar Purkinje neurons. PCP4 accelerates both the association and dissociation of

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...

(Ca²⁺) with calmodulin (CaM), which is postulated to influence the activity of CaM-dependent enzymes, especially CaM kinase II ( CaMK-II).

Function

References

Further reading