Glypican-1 (GPC1) 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, respon ...
that in humans is encoded by the ''GPC1''
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 ...
.
GPC1 is encoded by human ''GPC1'' gene located at 2q37.3.
GPC1 contains 558 amino acids with three predicted
heparan sulfate
Heparan sulfate (HS) is a linear polysaccharide found in all animal tissues. It occurs as a proteoglycan (HSPG, i.e. Heparan Sulfate ProteoGlycan) in which two or three HS chains are attached in close proximity to cell surface or extracellular m ...
chains.
Function
Cell surface heparan sulfate
proteoglycan
Proteoglycans are proteins that are heavily glycosylated. The basic proteoglycan unit consists of a "core protein" with one or more covalently attached glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chain(s). The point of attachment is a serine (Ser) residue to w ...
s are composed of a membrane-associated protein core substituted with three heparan sulfate chains.
Members of the
glypican-related integral membrane proteoglycan family (GRIPS) contain a core protein anchored to the cytoplasmic membrane via a
glycosyl phosphatidylinositol
Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (), or glycophosphatidylinositol, or GPI in short, is a phosphoglyceride that can be attached to the C-terminus of a protein during posttranslational modification. The resulting GPI-anchored proteins play key roles i ...
linkage. These proteins may play a role in the control of cell division and growth regulation.
Interactions
Glypican 1 has been shown to
interact with
SLIT2.
Clinical significance
This protein is involved in the misfolding of normal
prion
Prions are misfolded proteins that have the ability to transmit their misfolded shape onto normal variants of the same protein. They characterize several fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative diseases in humans and many other animals. It ...
proteins in the cell membrane to the infectious prion form.
In 2015 it was reported that the presence of this protein in
exosome
Exosome may refer to:
* Exosome complex
The exosome complex (or PM/Scl complex, often just called the exosome) is a multi-protein intracellular complex capable of degrading various types of RNA (ribonucleic acid) molecules. Exosome complexes ...
s in patients' blood is able to detect early
pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of panc ...
with absolute specificity and sensitivity.
However this conclusion is disputed. and in more recent overviews of potential markers for pancreatic cancer, Glypican 1 is not mentioned.
GPC1 has been evaluated as a potential target for cancer therapy,
including antibody-drug conjugates, CAR-T cell therapy,
radiotherapy, bispecific T cell engager and immunotoxins
in preclinical studies.
See also
*
Glypican
References
Further reading
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