Retinol Binding Protein 3, Interstitial (RBP3)

Retinol-binding protein 3, interstitial (RBP3), also known as IRBP is a protein identified in most eutherians except tenrecs and armadillos.The interphotoreceptor retinol-binding protein is a large glycoprotein known to bind retinoids and found primarily in the interphotoreceptor matrix of the retina between the retinal pigment epithelium and the photoreceptor cells. It is thought to transport retinoids between the retinal pigment epithelium and the photoreceptors, a critical role in the visual process. The human IRBP gene is approximately 9.5 kbp in length and consists of four exons separated by three introns. The introns are 1.6-1.9 kbp long. The gene is transcribed by photoreceptor and retinoblastoma cells into an approximately 4.3-kilobase mRNA that is translated and processed into a glycosylated protein of 135,000 Da.