EPO

This gene encodes a secreted, glycosylated cytokine composed of four alpha helical bundles. The encoded protein is mainly synthesized in the kidney, secreted into the blood plasma, and binds to the erythropoietin receptor to promote red blood cell production, or erythropoiesis, in the bone marrow. Expression of this gene is upregulated under hypoxic conditions, in turn leading to increased erythropoiesis and enhanced oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. Expression of this gene has also been observed in brain and in the eye, and elevated expression levels have been observed in diabetic retinopathy and ocular hypertension. Recombinant forms of the encoded protein exhibit neuroprotective activity against a variety of potential brain injuries, as well as antiapoptotic functions in several tissue types, and have been used in the treatment of anemia and to enhance the efficacy of cancer therapies. [provided by RefSeq, Aug 2017]

Description

Erythropoietin

Tissue specificity

Tissue enriched (liver)

Predicted location

Secreted to blood

Protein family

Cancer-related genes
Candidate cardiovascular disease genes
Disease related genes
Human disease related genes
Mapped to neXtProt
Mapped to UniProt SWISS-PROT
Predicted secreted proteins

Chromosome

7 (100720468 - 100723700)

Ensembl ID

ENSG00000130427  (ver. 103.38)

Orthologs

Mouse Epo: ENSMUSG00000029711

UniProt

P01588

neXtProt

NX_P01588

Human splice variants
Mouse splice variants

Protein structure