Alpha Fetoprotein, AFP Protein (Active)

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a major plasma protein in the fetus, where it is produced by the yolk sac and liver, It is encoded by the AFPHYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene" \o "Gene"gene.The AFP gene is located onHYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromosome_4" \o "Chromosome 4"chromosome4q25.AFP is aHYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycoprotein" \o "Glycoprotein"glycoproteinof 591 amino acids and a carbohydrate moiety.In rodent fetuses AFP bindsHYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estradiol" \o "Estradiol"estradiolto prevent the transport of this hormone across theHYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placenta" \o "Placenta"placenta. The main function of this is to prevent theHYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virilization" \o "Virilization"masculinizationof female fetuses.

Tomasi TB (1977) . "Structure and function of alpha-fetoprotein". Annual review of medicine 28: 453–65. Harper ME, Dugaiczyk A (July 1983) .HYPERLINK "http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1685723""Linkage of the evolutionarily-related serum albumin and alpha-fetoprotein genes within q11-22 of human chromosome 4". American Journal of Human Genetics 35 (4) : 565–72. Pucci P, Siciliano R, Malorni A, Marino G, Tecce MF, Ceccarini C, Terrana B (May 1991) . "Human alpha-fetoprotein primary structure: a mass spectrometric study".Biochemistry30 (20) : 5061–6. Seregni E, Botti C, Bombardieri E (1995) . "Biochemical characteristics and clinical applications of alpha-fetoprotein isoforms".Anticancer Res.15 (4) : 1491–9. Carter CS (2002) .HYPERLINK "http://books.google.se/books?id=D6TnKbTRBJoC&lpg=PA88&ots=jgmtzhDR8p&dq=AFP%20binds%20maternal%20estrogen&pg=PA88" \l "v=onepage&q=AFP%20binds%20maternal%20estrogen&f=false""Neuroendocrinology of sexual behavior in the female". In Becker JB. Behavioral Endocrinology. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press. pp. 88-89.