MAFA

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MAFA (Mast cell function-associated antigen) is a type II membranal glycoprotein, first identified on the surface of rat mucosal-type mast cells of the RBL-2H3 line. More recently, human and mouse homologues of MAFA have been discovered yet also (or only) expressed by NK and T-cells.[1]

The intracellular domain of MAFA contains a single immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM), which clasifies MAFA as a member of an inhibitory receptor superfamily. The inhibitory capacity of MAFA is best defined in mast cells, where MAFA keeps in check the antigen-induced (i.e. Fc epsilon RI-induced) secretion of inflammatory mediators.[citation needed]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Abramson; Jakub Abramson, Rong Xu and Israel Pecht; Department of Immunology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel (Received 24 December 2001; accepted 18 January 2002. Available online 21 June 2002). An unusual inhibitory receptor—the mast cell function-associated antigen (MAFA) (web). sciencedirect.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-10.
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