4.1B Background Information
The 4.1 gene family encodes a group of multifunctional cytoskeletal proteins (4.1R, 4.1G, 4.1N and 4.1B), which are predominantly expressed in the nervous system (1). 4.1G is a protein that stabilizes spectrin-actin interactions and is associated with hereditary elliptocytosis (1,2). Red blood cell 4.1, designated 4.1R, is a multifunctional protein that is essential for maintaining erythrocyte shape and membrane mechanical properties (3). Both 4.1R and 4.1G are distributed in a unique pattern in the cerebellum and are believed to modulate the membrane mechanical properties of neuronal cells by promoting fodrin/actin association (4,5). 4.1N and 4.1B, designated EPB41L1 and EPB41L3, respectively, are strongly expressed in the brain (6). Antibodies to 4.1N have been reported to detect mulitple forms, each enriched in postsynaptic density preparations relative to brain homogenate (1). Antibodies to 4.1B have been reported to detect two forms (1).
