Neuropoietin (NP; also known as cardiotrophin-2) is a 22 kDa member of the IL-6 family of cytokines. Considered to be the product of a gene duplication event involving cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1), it helps to define a subfamily within the IL-6 family that includes CT-1, CLC and CTNF. Mouse neuropoietin is synthesized as a 204 amino acid (aa) precursor that contains a 22 aa signal sequence and a 192 aa mature segment. The secreted molecule is characterized by the presence of four alpha ‑helices, typical of hematopoietic superfamily molecules. Mature mouse neuropoietin shares 88%, 90% and 95% aa identity to chimpanzee, canine and rat neuropoietin, respectively. The human gene is suggested to have evolved towards a pseudogene, a point of interest in that neuropoietin is reported to signal through the CNTF complex (i.e., gp130, CNTF R alpha and LIF R). NP will mediate motor neuron survival, and appears to be selectively expressed in the embryo by tissues involved with nervous system development (1).
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| Product By Gene ID | 244218 |
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