title: The MS4A family: counting past 1, 2 and 3.
abstract: The MS4A (membrane-spanning 4-domain family, subfamily A) family of proteins contains some well-known members including MS4A1 (CD20), MS4A2 (FcɛRIβ) and MS4A3 (HTm4). These three MS4A family members are expressed on the cell surface of specific leukocyte subsets and have been well characterized as having key roles in regulating cell activation, growth and development. However, beyond MS4A1-3 there are a large number of related molecules (18 to date in humans) where our understanding of their biological roles is at a relatively nascent stage. This review examines the larger MS4A family focusing on their structure, expression, regulation and characterized and/or emerging biological roles. Our own work on one family member MS4A8B, and its possible role in epithelial cell regulation, is also highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and Lung Health Research Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eon Kuek
authors.affiliation: John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leffler
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and Lung Health Research Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Graham A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Hulett
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle; D004194:Disease; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins
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