HGNC Approved Gene Symbol: LCN6
Cytogenetic location: 9q34.3 Genomic coordinates (GRCh38): 9:136,744,017-136,748,525 (from NCBI)
Lipocalins are ligand-binding proteins that function in a wide variety of processes (see 151675) and exhibit conserved beta-strand basket-like structures. Using database analysis and cDNA sequencing from a human caput library, Hamil et al. (2003) identified LCN6. The 163-amino acid LCN6 protein contains a predicted 20-amino acid signal peptide. Hamil et al. (2003) showed that human LCN6 is 93% identical to rhesus monkey Lcn6 and lacks a second, C-terminal cysteine found in many lipocalins. The LCN6 protein contains multiple phosphorylation sites, and structural prediction programs showed that LCN6 displays the characteristic lipocalin 3-dimensional structure. Northern blot analysis revealed robust expression of a 1-kb LCN6 transcript in epididymis. Using immunohistochemistry, Hamil et al. (2003) demonstrated strong expression of LCN6 protein in the caput epithelium and lumen; immunofluorescence of human spermatozoa showed strong LCN6 expression in large patches in the postacrosomal region of the head.
Using Northern blot analysis, Hamil et al. (2003) showed that LCN6 expression in rhesus monkeys is not affected by castration.
Hamil et al. (2003) showed that the LCN6 gene contains 7 exons and spans 4.5 kb.
By sequence analysis, Hamil et al. (2003) mapped the LCN6 gene to chromosome 9q34, in a region rich in lipocalin genes.
Hamil, K. G., Liu, Q., Sivashanmugam, P., Anbalagan, M., Yenugu, S., Soundararajan, R., Grossman, G., Rao, A. J., Birse, C. E., Ruben, S. M., Richardson, R. T., Zhang, Y.-L., O'Rand, M. G., Petrusz, P., French, F. S., Hall, S. H. LCN6, a novel human epididymal lipocalin. Reprod. Biol. Endocr. 1: 112, 2003. Note: Electronic Article. [PubMed: 14617364] [Full Text: https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7827-1-112]