MART-1 / Melan-A is a protein antigen found on melanocytes. An antigen (from antibody-generating) or immunogen is a substance that prompts the generation of Antibodies and can cause an immune response Melanocytes are cells located in the bottom layer (the Stratum basale) of the skin's epidermis and in the middle layer of the eye (the Uvea) Antibodies against the antigen are used in the medical specialty of anatomic pathology in order to recognize cells of melanocytic differentiation, useful for the diagnosis of a melanoma. Pathology; please do not remove --> ( Melanoma is a Malignant Tumor of Melanocytes which are found predominantly in skin but also in the Bowel and the Eye (see The same name is also used to refer to the gene which codes for the antigen.
The names MART-1 and Melan-A were coined by two groups of researchers who independently sequenced the gene for this antigen in 1994. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Both names are currently in common use. Kawakami et al. at the National Cancer Institute coined the term MART-1, which stands for "Melanoma Antigen Recognized by T-cells. The National Cancer Institute (NCI is part of the United States Federal government's National Institutes of Health. T cells belong to a group of White blood cells known as Lymphocytes, and play a central role in Cell-mediated immunity. " Coulie et al. of Belgium called the gene Melan-A, presumably an abbreviation for "melanocyte antigen. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those "
The MART-1 / Melan-A antigen is specific for the melanocyte lineage, found in normal skin, the retina, and melanocytes, but not in other normal tissues. It is thus useful as a marker for melanocytic tumors (melanomas) with the caveat that it is normally found in benign nevi as well. Melanoma is a Malignant Tumor of Melanocytes which are found predominantly in skin but also in the Bowel and the Eye (see Nevus (or naevus, plural nevi, from nævus, Latin for birthmark is the medical term for sharply-circumscribed and Chronic lesions of the
MART-1 / Melan-A is a putative 18 kDa transmembrane protein consisting of 118 amino acids. The unified atomic mass unit ( u) or Dalton ( Da) or sometimes universal mass unit, is an unit of Mass used to express In Chemistry, an amino acid is a Molecule containing both Amine and Carboxyl Functional groups In Biochemistry, this It has a single transmembrane domain.
References
- Kawakami Y, Eliyahu S, Delgado CH, Robbins PF, Rivoltini L, Topalian SL, Miki T, Rosenberg SA. Cloning of the gene coding for a shared human melanoma antigen recognized by autologous T cells infiltrating into tumor. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994 Apr 26;91(9):3515-9. PMID 8170938
- Coulie PG, Brichard V, Van Pel A, Wolfel T, Schneider J, Traversari C, Mattei S, De Plaen E, Lurquin C, Szikora JP, Renauld JC, Boon T. A new gene coding for a differentiation antigen recognized by autologous cytolytic T lymphocytes on HLA-A2 melanomas. J Exp Med. 1994 Jul 1;180(1):35-42. PMID 8006593
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic