Myelin Associated Oligodendrocyte Basic Protein (MOBP)

In the course of screening genes predominantly expressed in the spinal cord of the rat, Yamamoto et al. (1994) cloned a gene encoding a novel member of the CNS myelin-constituting proteins, which they designated myelin-associated oligodendrocytic basic protein (MOBP).MOBP is abundantly expressed specifically in oligodendrocytes at the mRNA level. Two isoforms were confirmed, one of which has proline-rich tandem repeats. The cDNA-derived primary structure predicted a small, soluble, basic protein. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that MOBP is expressed throughout compact myelin. All of these characteristics are similar to MBP. Unlike MBP, MOBP is expressed exclusively in the CNS myelin.