Membrane Spanning 4 Domains Subfamily A, Member 5 (MS4A5)

MS4A5 encodes a member of the membrane-spanning 4A gene family. Members of this nascent protein family are characterized by common structural features and similar intron/exon splice boundaries and display unique expression patterns among hematopoietic cells and nonlymphoid tissues. Though this member is not expressed in hematopoietic cells specifically, it may be involved in signal transduction like many of its related family members. The gene encoding this protein is localized to 11q12, among a cluster of family members.MS4A5 has a cytoplasmic N terminus, 4 transmembrane domains, 2 extracellular loops, 1 intracellular loop, and a cytoplasmic C terminus. Northern blot and RT-PCR analysis detected expression of a 0.7-kb transcript restricted to testis, distinct from the hematopoietic tissue expression of other MS4A proteins.