Background of the antigen
Gigaxonin, also refered to as giant axonal neuropathy, GAN1, or KLHL16, controls protein degradation and is essential for neuronal function and survival. Gigaxonin is a member of the cytoskeletal BTB/kelch repeat family and influences cytoskeletal organization and dynamics, playing a large role in neurofilament architecture. The amino terminal BTB domain of gigaxonin binds to the ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1, while the carboxy-terminal kelch repeat domain interacts directly with the light chain of microtubule-associated protein 1B (MAP1B), and tags it for degredation. Overexpression of MAP1B may lead to neuronal cell death, whereas a reduction of MAP1B significantly improves the survival rate of neurons. Mutations in the Gigaxonin gene result in human giant axonal neuropathy (GAN), an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by axonal degeneration caused by cytoskeletal abnormalities, including accumulated intermediate filaments.
