Background of the antigen
The RING-type zinc finger motif is present in a number of viral and eukaryotic proteins and is made of a conserved cysteine-rich domain that is able to bind two zinc atoms. Proteins that contain this conserved domain are generally involved in the ubiquitination pathway of protein degradation. MARCH8 (membrane-associated ring finger (C3HC4) 8), also known as MIR or RNF178 (RING finger protein 178), is a 291 amino acid multi-pass membrane protein that localizes to vesicle membranes and contains one RING-CH-type zinc finger. Expressed in a variety of tissues, including immature dendritic cells, MARCH8 functions as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that is thought to regulate immune responses by promoting the ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of target proteins, such as B7-2 and CD71.