Background of the antigen
SCRG1 (scrapie-responsive protein 1) is a 98 amino acid secreted protein that belongs to the SCRG1 family. The SCRG1 protein contains a 20-amino acid signal peptide, and is expressed abundantly in the central nervous system of human adult, but not at all in fetal brain. The protein is targeted to the Golgi apparatus and large dense-core vesicles/secretory granules in neurons. High levels of SCRG1 transcripts are also observed in testis and aorta. SCRG1 is associated with neurodegenerative changes observed in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. It may play a role in host response to prion-associated infections. The SCRG1 protein may be partly included in the membrane or secreted by the cells due to its hydrophobic N-terminus. The human and mouse SCRG1 proteins share 83% sequence identity. The SCRG1 gene is conserved in chimpanzee, cow, mouse, rat and chicken, and maps to human chromosome 4q34.1.
