cell surface glycoprotein MUC18; melanoma-associated antigen MUC18; melanoma cell adhesion molecule; melanoma-associated antigen A32; S-endo 1 endothelial-associated antigen; cell surface glycoprotein P1H12; CD146 (MCAM, MUC18)

Function

• plays a role in cell adhesion, & in cohesion of the endothelial monolayer at intercellular junctions in vascular tissue
• expression may allow melanoma cells to interact with cellular elements of the vascular system, thereby enhancing hematogeneous tumor spread
• could be an adhesion molecule active in neural crest cells during embryonic development
• acts as surface receptor that triggers Tyr phosphorylation of FYN & PTK2, & a transient increase in the intracellular Ca+2

Structure

• contains 3 Ig-like C2-type domains (immunoglobulin-like)
• contains 2 Ig-like V-type domains (immunoglobulin-like)

Compartment

• membrane; single-pass type 1 membrane protein

Alternative splicing

named isoforms=2

Expression

• detected in endothelial cells in vascular tissue throughout the body
• may appear at the surface of neural crest cells during their embryonic migration
• appears to be limited to vascular smooth muscle in normal adult tissues

Pathology

• associated with tumor progression & the development of metastasis in human malignant melanoma
• expressed most strongly on metastatic lesions & advanced primary tumors
• only rarely detected in benign melanocytic nevi & thin primary melanomas with a low probability of metastasis

More general terms

• CD antigen
• glycoprotein
• immunoglobulin superfamily protein
• melanoma associated antigen (MAGE)
• phosphoprotein

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=4162
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:4162
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/155735
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P43121.html