Glia maturation factor is a

neurotrophic factor Neurotrophic factors (NTFs) are a family of biomolecules – nearly all of which are peptides or small proteins – that support the growth, survival, and differentiation of both developing and mature neurons. Most NTFs exert their tro ...

implicated in nervous system development, angiogenesis and immune function. In humans, the glia maturation factor beta and glia maturation factor gamma

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 ...

s are encoded by the ''GMFB'' and ''GMFG''

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 ...

s, respectively. The structures of mouse glia maturation factors beta and gamma, solved by both crystallography and NMR, reveal similarities and critical differences with ADF-H (actin depolymerization factor homology) domains and suggest new means of experimentally addressing the function of this protein family.

References

See also