afamin; alpha-albumin; alpha-Alb (AFM, ALB2, ALBA)

Function

• vitamin E binding protein
• may transport vitamin E in body fluids under conditions where the lipoprotein system is not sufficient
• may be involved in the regulation & transport of vitamin E at the blood-brain barrier (putative)

Structure

• N-glycosylated; more than 90% of the glycans are sialylated
• belongs to the ALB/AFP/VDB family
• contains 3 albumin domains

Compartment

secreted

Expression

• high level detected in plasma
• also detected in extravascular fluids such as follicular & cerebrospinal fluids (at protein level)

More general terms

• secreted protein
• glycoprotein

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=173
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:173
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/104145
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P43652.html