Glycophorin A
Glycophorin A (GPA) is a protein that is encoded by the GYPA gene in humans. It is a member of the glycophorin family and plays a crucial role in the structure and function of red blood cells.
Structure[edit | edit source]
Glycophorin A is a transmembrane protein that spans the cell membrane of red blood cells. It is composed of 131 amino acids and has a molecular weight of approximately 16 kDa. The protein has a single transmembrane domain, a short cytoplasmic tail, and a large extracellular domain that is heavily glycosylated.
Function[edit | edit source]
The primary function of glycophorin A is to maintain the shape and flexibility of red blood cells. It achieves this by interacting with other proteins in the cell membrane, such as spectrin and actin, to form a network that provides structural support to the cell. Glycophorin A also plays a role in the cell adhesion process, which is important for the formation of red blood cell aggregates, or rouleaux.
Clinical significance[edit | edit source]
Mutations in the GYPA gene can lead to a variety of blood disorders, including hereditary elliptocytosis and hereditary spherocytosis. These conditions are characterized by abnormal red blood cell shapes and can lead to anemia, jaundice, and splenomegaly. Glycophorin A is also the receptor for the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, which causes malaria.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
Translate: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD