The
mRNA transcript of FAM151A is expressed in the
kidney,
small intestine, and
liver, while the FAM151A protein is only expressed in kidney tubules.[10]
FAM151A has direct orthologs in
chimpanzee,[14]mouse,[15]zebrafish,[16] and other members of the clade
Eumetazoa that diverged from humans up to around 700 million years ago.[17][18] However, FAM151A does not have any known orthologs in
birds.
Protein family FAM151/Menorin
FAM151A has one known
paralog in humans, FAM151B, which contains only the first DUF2181 and no transmembrane region.[19] In mammals, both FAM151A and FAM151B are homologs of the C. elegans menorin gene, involved in
dendrite branching.[12][6]
Clinical significance
FAM151A contains an
SNP, rs11206394, that is a significant predictor of
colorectal cancer. The SNP is a
missense mutation that occurs in the region of the second DUF2181 of FAM151A that overlaps with the 3' UTR of ACOT11. Individuals with both copies of the minor
allele have been observed to have the odds of cancer decreased between 11% and 59%.[20]
^Kang BW, Jeon HS, Chae YS, Lee SJ, Park JS, Choi GS, Kim JG (July 2016). "Impact of Genetic Variation in MicroRNA-binding Site on Susceptibility to Colorectal Cancer". Anticancer Res. 36 (7): 3353–61.
PMID27354594.