The SGCE gene provides instructions for making a protein called epsilon (ε)-sarcoglycan, whose function is unknown. The ε-sarcoglycan protein is found within the outer membrane of cells in tissues throughout the body, but it is most abundant in nerve cells (neurons) in the brain and in muscle cells. Researchers suspect that in the brain the ε-sarcoglycan protein plays a role in the functioning of synapses, which are the connections between neurons where cell-to-cell communication occurs.
People inherit one copy of most genes from their mother (the maternal copy) and one copy from their father (the paternal copy). Both copies are typically active, or “turned on,” in cells. However, only the paternal copy of the SGCE gene is active. This sort of parent-specific difference in gene activation is caused by a phenomenon called genomic imprinting.
Other Names
DYT11; ESG; sarcoglycan, epsilon; SGCE_HUMAN
Related Genetics Topics
Identifiers
- NCBI Gene: 8910
- OMIM: 604149
Source: MedlinePlus Genetics, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
