Background |
RFPL1, RFPL2 and RFPL3 (ret finger protein-like 1, 2 and 3, respectively), exist as a cluster of genes mapping to human chromosome 22q12.2-q13.3, sharing 95%-96% identity. RFPL1, 2 and 3, are thought to contribute to neocortex organization and size in primates, and show high expression in fetal neocortex as well as embryonic stem-cell neurogenesis. Each of the three RFPL genes encodes two exons giving rise to a putative RING-like motifs and B30-2 domains. RFPL2, or RNF79, is 378 amino acids long and is also highly expressed in prostate with lower expression in fetal kidney and fetal liver. As a result of alternative splicing, two isoforms of RFPL2 exist. |