Mindbomb Homolog 2 (MIB2)

Skeletrophin was expressed in 23 of 25 benign nevi, but not in 18 of 38 cases of primary skin melanoma. Treatment with a demethylating agent restored skeletrophin expression in a human melanoma cell line.The deduced 1,013-amino acid protein contains a dystrophin (DMD)-like cysteine-rich zinc-binding domain in its N-terminal half and 5 ankyrin repeats in its C-terminal half. Northern blot analysis detected a 3.2-kb transcript that was highly expressed in skeletal muscle and more weakly expressed in brain, heart, and kidney. Western blot analysis detected a 70-kD protein in skeletal muscle, heart, and brain, but not in liver, thymus, or lung. Immunohistochemical analysis of skeletal muscle detected cytoplasmic foci of skeletrophin expression near the cell surface.