Neurobeachin Like Protein 1 (NBEAL1)

NBEAL1 encodes a deduced 1,001-amino acid protein with a beige and Chediak-Higashi (BEACH) domain, 3 WD40 repeats, and a vacuolar targeting motif, ILPK. The conserved BEACH domain is closely homologous to that of neurobeachin (NBEA). RT-PCR of adult human tissues detected high expression of NBEAL1 in brain, kidney, prostate, and testis, and weak expression in ovary, small intestine, colon, and peripheral blood lymphocytes. Northern blot analysis revealed a 4.0-kb NBEAL1 transcript in astrocytoma and glioblastoma samples, and indicated up-regulated expression in gliomas compared to normal brain tissue. A higher level of NBEAL1 expression was observed in low grade compared to high grade gliomas, suggesting that NBEAL1 is highly expressed in the prophase of glioma.