Regulator Of Calcineurin 1 (RCAN1)

RCAN1 interacts with calcineurin A and inhibits calcineurin-dependent signaling pathways, possibly affecting central nervous system development. This gene is located in the minimal candidate region for the Down syndrome phenotype, and is overexpressed in the brain of Down syndrome fetuses. Chronic overexpression of this gene may lead to neurofibrillary tangles such as those associated with Alzheimer disease. The predicted 171-amino acid protein contains 2 proline-rich regions, a putative DNA-binding domain, and an acidic region. Northern blot analysis revealed that the 2.2-kb DSCR1 transcript is expressed at the highest levels in fetal brain and adult heart and at lower levels in various other tissues. An additional 2-kb mRNA was detected in fetal and adult liver.