mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor

The protein encoded by this gene is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and golgi, and is also secreted. Reducing expression of this gene increases susceptibility to ER stress-induced death and results in cell proliferation. Activity of this protein is important in promoting the survival of dopaminergic neurons. The presence of polymorphisms in the N-terminal arginine-rich region, including a specific mutation that changes an ATG start codon to AGG, have been reported in a variety of solid tumors; however, these polymorphisms were later shown to exist in normal tissues and are thus no longer thought to be tumor-related. [provided by RefSeq, Apr 2014]