Description
Glial fibrillary acidic protein is a protein that is encoded by the GFAP gene in humans. It is an intermediate filament (IF) protein that is expressed by numerous cell types of the central nervous system (CNS) including astrocytes, and ependymal cells. It is mapped to 17q21.31. It is closely related to its non-epithelial family members, vimentin, desmin, and peripherin, which are all involved in the structure and function of the cells cytoskeleton. GFAP is thought to help to maintain astrocyte mechanical strength, as well as the shape of cells. This gene has been shown to play a role in mitosis by adjusting the filament network present in the cell. It is necessary for many critical roles in the CNS. It also plays a role in astrocyte-neuron interactions as well as cell-cell communication