| Type: | Family | Name: | Bestrophin |
| Description: | Bestrophin is a 68kDa basolateral plasma membrane protein expressed in retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE). It is encoded by the VMD2 gene, which is mutated in Best macular dystrophy, a disease characterised by a depressed light peak in the electrooculogram []. VMD2 encodes a 585-amino acid protein with an approximate mass of 68 kDa which has been designated bestrophin. Bestrophin shares homology with the Caenorhabditis elegansRFP gene family, named for the presence of a conserved arginine (R), phenylalanine (F), proline (P), amino acid sequence motif. Bestrophin is a plasma membrane protein, localised to the basolateral surface of RPE cells consistent with a role for bestrophin in the generation or regulation of the EOG light peak. Bestrophin and other RFP family members represent a new class of chloride channels, indicating a direct role for bestrophin in generating the light peak []. The VMD2 gene underlying Best disease was shown to represent the first human member of the RFP-TM protein family. More than 97% of the disease-causing mutations are located in the N-terminal RFP-TM domain implying important functional properties []. | Short Name: | Bestrophin |
