Repulsive guidance molecule (排斥性导向分子)

Repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) is a membrane-associated glycoprotein found in most vertebrate species. The RGM family is formed by three members: RGMa, RGMb, and RGMc. RGMa and RGMb (also called Dragon) are expressed in the developing and adult CNS, but with different expression patterns. RGMc (also called HJV, HFE2, or DL-M) is expressed in the liver and the striated muscle but not in the nervous system and is involved in the regulation of iron metabolism. The three proteins, RGMa, RGMb and RGMc, products of distinct single-copy genes that arose early in vertebrate evolution, are ~40-50%identical to each other in primary amino acid sequence. All three RGM proteins appear capable of binding selected BMPs (bone morphogenetic proteins), and interactions with BMPs mediate at least some of the biological effects of RGMc on iron metabolism.