TUFT1
Description
The TUFT1 (tuftelin 1) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 1.
Tuftelin is an acidic phosphorylated glycoprotein found in tooth enamel. In humans, the tuftelin protein is encoded by the TUFT1 gene. It is an acidic protein that is thought to play a role in dental enamel mineralization and is implicated in caries susceptibility. It is also thought to be involved with adaptation to hypoxia, mesenchymal stem cell function, and neurotrophin nerve growth factor mediated neuronal differentiation.
== Classification == There are two kinds of enamel proteins: amelogenins and nonamelogenins. Tuftelin falls under nonamelogenins.
== Function == This protein is formed for a short time during amelogenesis. The function of tuftelins is under contention, but it is proposed that it acts to start the mineralization process of enamel during tooth development. Other significant proteins in enamel are amelogenins, enamelins, and ameloblastins.
== Research == The human encoding gene for tuftelin (TUFT1) was cloned by Profs.
TUFT1 is also known as WHSF.
