Biotin-Linked Polyclonal Antibody to Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP)

This gene encodes one of the major intermediate filament proteins of mature astrocytes. It is used as a marker to distinguish astrocytes from other glial cells during development. Mutations in this gene cause Alexander disease, a rare disorder of astrocytes in the central nervous system. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms. [provided by RefSeq, Oct 2008]

GFAP: a class-III intermediate filament protein. A cell-specific marker that, during the development of the central nervous system, distinguishes astrocytes from other glial cells. Mutations in this gene cause Alexander disease, a rare disorder of astrocytes in the central nervous system. An additional transcript variant isoform has been described, but its full length sequence has not been determined.

Protein type: Cytoskeletal

Chromosomal Location of Human Ortholog: 17q21.31

Cellular Component: cell body; cytoplasm; cytosol; intermediate filament; intermediate filament cytoskeleton; lysosome; myelin sheath

Molecular Function: identical protein binding; integrin binding; kinase binding; protein binding; structural constituent of cytoskeleton

Biological Process: astrocyte development; Bergmann glial cell differentiation; extracellular matrix organization; intermediate filament organization; negative regulation of neuron projection development; neuron projection regeneration; positive regulation of Schwann cell proliferation; regulation of chaperone-mediated autophagy; regulation of neurotransmitter uptake; regulation of protein complex assembly; response to wounding

Disease: Alexander Disease