Description
Product Characteristics:
Plays a critical role in MHC class II antigen processing by stabilizing peptide-free class II alpha/beta heterodimers in a complex soon after their synthesis and directing transport of the complex from the endoplasmic reticulum to the endosomal/lysosomal system where the antigen processing and binding of antigenic peptides to MHC class II takes place. Serves as cell surface receptor for the cytokine MIF.
Subcellular location: Cell membrane
Synonyms: II, DHLAG, HLADG, Ia-GAMMA, HLA class II histocompatibility antigen gamma chain, HLA-DR antigens-associated invariant chain, Ia antigen-associated invariant chain, p33, CD74
Target Information: The protein encoded by this gene associates with class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and is an important chaperone that regulates antigen presentation for immune response. It also serves as cell surface receptor for the cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) which, when bound to the encoded protein, initiates survival pathways and cell proliferation. This protein also interacts with amyloid precursor protein (APP) and suppresses the production of amyloid beta (Abeta). Multiple alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been identified. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2011]