GULP, Engulfment Adaptor PTB Domain Containing Protein 1 (GULP1)

CED6 is an evolutionarily conserved adaptor protein required for efficient engulfment of apoptotic cells by phagocytes.The deduced 304-amino acid protein contains an N-terminal PTB domain followed by a putative coiled-coil region and a proline/serine-rich stretch that contains 4 PxxP SH3-binding motifs. CED6 shares significant similarity with C. elegans Ced6, including 47% amino acid identity in the N-terminal PTB domain. The C termini are more variable, and human CED6 lacks the C-terminal extension found in worm Ced6. Northern blot analysis detected a 3.6-kb transcript in kidney, pancreas, heart, skeletal muscle, lung, and placenta, but not in brain or liver. CED6 is expressed in placenta, pancreas, testis, aorta, embryonic heart and brain, and a colon cancer cell line.