Thrombospondin Type I Domain Containing Protein 7A (THSD7A)

By sequencing clones obtained from a size-fractionated brain cDNA library, Nagase et al. (1999) cloned THSD7A, which they designated KIAA0960. The deduced 1,290-amino acid protein shares characteristics with proteins involved in cell signaling. RT-PCR ELISA detected low to moderate expression in all tissues and specific brain regions examined except skeletal muscle, where expression was absent.By radiation hybrid analysis, Nagase et al. (1999) mapped the THSD7A gene to chromosome 7.The thrombospondins (TSP) are a family of multifunctional proteins. The family consists of thrombospondins 1-5 and can be divided into 2 subgroups: A, which contains TSP-1 and -2, and B, which contains TSP-3, -4 and -5.