Background of the antigen
Meteorin is a secreted protein belonging to the Meteorin family that contains 293 amino acids and promotes axonal extension, axonal network formation and regulates glial cell differentiation. Expressed in radial glia and undifferentiated neural progenitors of the central and peripheral nervous system, Meteorin is encoded by a gene located on human chromosome 16, which encodes over 900 genes and comprises nearly 3% of the human genome. The GAN (Gigaxonin) gene is located on chromosome 16 and, with mutation, may lead to giant axonal neuropathy, a nervous system disorder characterized by increasing malfunction with growth. The rare disorder Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome is also associated with chromosome 16, as is Crohn's disease, which is a gastrointestinal inflammatory condition.
