Species Human Entrez 720 | Human Mouse Ensembl n/a | |
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Aliases C4A, C4, C4A2, C4A3, C4A4, C4A6, C4AD, C4S, CO4, CPAMD2, RG, complement component 4A (Rodgers blood group) External IDs MGI: 98320 HomoloGene: 36030 GeneCards: C4A | ||
Complement C4-A is a protein that in humans is encoded by the C4A gene.
Function
This gene encodes the acidic form of complement factor 4, part of the classical activation pathway. The protein is expressed as a single chain precursor which is proteolytically cleaved into a trimer of alpha, beta, and gamma chains prior to secretion. The trimer provides a surface for interaction between the antigen-antibody complex and other complement components. The alpha chain may be cleaved to release C4 anaphylatoxin, a mediator of local inflammation. Deficiency of this protein is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and type I diabetes mellitus. This gene localizes to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class III region on chromosome 6. Varying haplotypes of this gene cluster exist, such that individuals may have 1, 2, or 3 copies of this gene.