Duffy antigen/chemokine receptor; Fy glycoprotein; GpFy; Glycoprotein D; plasmodium vivax receptor; CD234 (DARC, FY, GPD)

Function

non-specific receptor for many chemokines such as IL-8, GRO, RANTES, MCP-1 & TARC. It is also the receptor for the human malaria parasites plasmodium vivax & plasmodium knowlesi

Structure

belongs to the G-protein coupled receptor Duffy family

Compartment

membrane

Alternative splicing

named isoforms=2

Expression

• found in adult kidney, adult spleen, bone marrow & fetal liver
• expressed along postcapillary venules throughout the body, except in the adult liver
• erythroid cells & postcapillary venule endothelium are principle tissues expressing duffy
• Fy(-A-B) individuals do not express duffy in the bone marrow; however, they do, in postcapillary venule endothelium

Pathology

• individuals that do not produce the Duffy antigen (FY(A-B-)) are more resistant to vivax malaria
• this allele is found predominantly in population of African origin

Polymorphism

• DARC is responsible for the Duffy blood group system
• the molecular basis of the Fy(A)=Fy1/Fy(B)=Fy2 blood group antigens is a single variation in position 42; Gly-42 corresponds to Fy(A) & Asp-42 to Fy(B)
• genetic variation in DARC is associated with white blood cell count quantitative trait locus type 1 (WBCQ1)

More general terms

• G-protein coupled receptor; serpentine receptor
• glycoprotein
• blood group antigen
• CD antigen

Database

• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:2532
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/110700
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/611862
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q16570.html