Neuron Navigator 2 (NAV2)

Dot blot analysis detected expression in fetal brain and heart, as well as in adult cerebellum, bladder, aorta, jejunum, and interventricular septum. Northern blot analysis detected an 11.0-kb transcript that was most highly expressed in brain, followed by thyroid, mammary gland, and spinal cord. The deduced 2,429-amino acid RAINB1 protein contains an N-terminal, 99-residue domain similar to calponin homology or actin-binding domains, and a C-terminal ATPase activity (AAA) domain. The C terminus of RAINB1 is similar to the C terminus of the C. elegans Unc53 protein, which is required for longitudinal growth of worm neurons involved in mechanosensation. Treatment of neuroblastoma cells with ATRA caused neurite elongation, suggesting homology between RAINB1 and Unc53.