Family With Sequence Similarity 189, Member B (FAM189B)

Gaucher disease results from the deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (EC 3.2.1.45). Although the functional gene for glucocerebrosidase (GBA) and its pseudogene (psGBA), located in close proximity on chromosome 1q21, have been studied extensively, the flanking sequence has not been well characterized. The origin and endpoints of the duplication leading to the pseudogenes for GBA and MTX are now clearly established.Of these three genes, the gene most distal to GBA is a protein kinase (clk2). The second gene, propin1, has a 1.5-kb cDNA and shares homology to a rat secretory carrier membrane protein 37 (SCAMP37). Finally, cote1, a gene of unknown function lies most proximal to GBA. The possible contributions of these closely arrayed genes to the more atypical presentations of Gaucher disease is now under investigation.