Alternative titles; symbols
HGNC Approved Gene Symbol: MAEA
Cytogenetic location: 4p16.3 Genomic coordinates (GRCh38) : 4:1,289,891-1,340,137 (from NCBI)
The association of erythroblasts with macrophages plays a central role in the terminal maturation and enucleation of erythroblasts. MAEA mediates attachment of erythroblasts to macrophages (Hanspal et al., 1998).
Hanspal et al. (1998) cloned an MAEA cDNA from a human macrophage cDNA expression library using antibody to the purified protein as probe. The deduced 395-amino acid protein has a small N-terminal domain, a single transmembrane domain, and a large cytoplasmic domain containing several tyrosine residues that, when phosphorylated, could interact with protein recognition modules. MAEA has a calculated molecular mass of 43 kD. Recombinant protein, and protein expressed by transfected COS-7 cells, showed an apparent molecular mass of 36 kD by SDS-PAGE. By Northern blot analysis, Hanspal et al. (1998) found ubiquitous expression of a 2.1-kb transcript in all tissues and cells examined. By Western blot analysis, they identified 2 isoforms with apparent molecular masses of 36 kD and 33 kD in macrophage membranes.
Using several cell attachment assays, Hanspal et al. (1998) found that both MAEA isoforms could bind erythroblasts and that binding was mediated by the extracellular N terminus. They also determined that MAEA-mediated cell-cell contact prevents apoptosis in maturing erythroblasts.
The International Radiation Hybrid Mapping Consortium mapped the MAEA gene to chromosome 4 (WI-13069).
Hanspal, M., Smockova, Y., Uong, Q. Molecular identification and functional characterization of a novel protein that mediates the attachment of erythroblasts to macrophages. Blood 92: 2940-2950, 1998. [PubMed: 9763581]