NCBI Summary:
This gene encodes a member of the lipocalin family of small secretory proteins. Lipocalins are extracellular transport proteins that bind to a variety of hydrophobic ligands. The encoded protein is the primary lipid binding protein in tears and is overproduced in response to multiple stimuli including infection and stress. The encoded protein may be a marker for chromosome aneuploidy as well as an autoantigen in Sjogren's syndrome. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding multiple isoforms have been observed for this gene, and two pseudogenes of this gene are also located on the long arm of chromosome 9. [provided by RefSeq, Nov 2011]
General function
Extracellular binding protein
Comment
Cellular localization
Secreted
Comment
Ovarian function
Early embryo development
Comment
Lipocalin-1: a potential marker for noninvasive aneuploidy screening. McReynolds S et al. (2011) This study has identified the first protein, lipocalin-1, in the secretome of human blastocysts that is associated with chromosome aneuploidy. The development of a noninvasive technique to determine an embryo's developmental competence, including chromosomal constitution, by analysis of spent IVF culture medium will be a powerful tool for embryo selection in assisted reproductive technologies.//////////////////