Partitioning Defective 6 Homolog Alpha (PARD6a)

PARD6a is a member of the PAR6 family and encodes a protein with a PSD95/Discs-large/ZO1 (PDZ) domain and a semi-Cdc42/Rac interactive binding (CRIB) domain. This cell membrane protein is involved in asymmetrical cell division and cell polarization processes as a member of a multi-protein complex. The protein also has a role in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that characterizes the invasive phenotype associated with metastatic carcinomas. Alternate transcriptional splice variants, encoding different isoforms, have been characterized.The deduced protein contains a single PDZ domain. RNA dot-blot analysis revealed ubiquitous expression of PARD6A, with maximal expression in pituitary gland. High expression was also found in testis.