Zinc Activated Ligand Gated Ion Channel (ZACN)

LGICZ1 is a zinc-activated ligand-gated ion channel that defines a new subgroup of the cysteine-loop superfamily of ligand-gated ion channels.The deduced 411-amino acid protein contains a signal sequence, a cys-cys motif, 4 transmembrane domains, and several invariant residues consistent with the conserved secondary structure of the cysteine-loop superfamily; however, LGICZ1 is not closely related to any known subunit of this superfamily. Rodent genomes lack a functional Lgicz1 gene, but the canine genome contains a functional gene that shares 84% identity with LGICZ1. RT-PCR of human tissues detected expression in prostate, thyroid, trachea, fetal brain, spinal cord, placenta, and stomach. No expression was detected in adult whole brain, heart, liver, spleen, or kidney. Northern blot analysis detected a 1.5-kb transcript in placenta and stomach