RPTN

RPTN is a gene that encodes the protein repetin. Repetin is an extracellular epidermal matrix protein. RPTN is part of the S-100 protein family and contains a EF hand structural domain.

RPTN is one of the genes that differ between present-day humans and neandertals.[1] It functions in the cornified cell envelope formation. It is a multifunctional epidermal matrix protein. RPTN reversibly binds calcium.

RPTN is 5,634 bases long. It starts 152,126,071 base pairs from pter. It ends 152,131,704 base pairs from pter. It has a minus strand orientation.

RPTN helps protect skin cells, and since the Neanderthals were missing this protein, that Neanderthals were better adapted to the cold, but less so to disease. RPTN is one of 30 specific differences between modern man's DNA and Neanderthal's.

References

  1. ↑ Richard E. Green et al. (2010). "A Draft Sequence of the Neandertal Genome". Science 328 (5979): 710–722. doi:10.1126/science.1188021. PMID 20448178.