Long Palate, Lung And Nasal Epithelium Carcinoma Associated Protein 3 (LPLUNC3)

LPLUNC3 also known as C20orf185 or RYA3, is a 476 amino acid secreted protein that belongs to the BPI/LBP/PLUNC superfamily. Expressed in nasal septal epithelia, LPLUNC3 has the capacity to recognize and bind specific classes of odorants serving as a primary defense mechanism in the mucosa.LPLUNC3 is encoded by a gene which maps to a BPI/LBP/PLUNC gene cluster on human chromosome 20. Comprising approximately 2% of the human genome, chromosome 20 contains nearly 63 million bases that encode over 600 genes, some of which are associated with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy, ring chromosome 20 epilepsy syndrome and Alagille syndrome.