UNIPROT #

P16422

PROTEIN NAME

EP-CAM

SYNONYMS

17 1A antibody; 323/A3 antibody; Adenocarcinoma associated antigen antibody; Adenocarcinoma-associated antigen antibody; Antigen identified by monoclonal antibody; AUA1 antibody; AUA1 antibody; CD326 antibody; CD326 antigen antibody; Cell surface glycoprotein Trop 1 antibody; Cell surface glycoprotein Trop 2 antibody; Cell surface glycoprotein Trop-1 antibody; CO 17A antibody; CO17 1A antibody; CO17A antibody; DIAR5 antibody; EGP 2 antibody; EGP antibody; EGP2 antibody; EGP314 antibody; EGP40 antibody; Ep CAM antibody; Ep-CAM antibody; EPCAM antibody; EPCAM_HUMAN antibody; EpCAM1 antibody; Epithelial cell adhesion molecule antibody; Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule Intracellular Domain (EpCAM-ICD) antibody; Epithelial cell surface antigen antibody; Epithelial cellular adhesion molecule antibody; Epithelial glycoprotein 1 antibody; Epithelial glycoprotein 314 antibody; Epithelial glycoprotein antibody; ESA antibody; GA733 1 antibody; GA733 2 antibody; GA733-2 antibody; gastrointestinal tumor-associated antigen 2, 35-KD glycoprotein antibody; gp4 antibody; hEGP 2 antibody; hEGP314 antibody; HNPCC8 antibody; Human epithelial glycoprotein 2 antibody; KS 1/4 antigen antibody; KS1/4 antibody; KSA antibody; Ly74 antibody; Lymphocyte antigen 74 antibody; M1S 1 antibody; M1S2 antibody; M4S1 antibody; Major gastrointestinal tumor associated protein GA733 2 antibody; Major gastrointestinal tumor-associated protein GA733-2 antibody; mEGP314 antibody; Membrane component chromosome 4 surface marker (35kD glycoprotein) antibody; Membrane component, chromosome 4, surface marker 1 antibody; Membrane component, chromosome 4, surface marker antibody; MIC18 antibody; MK 1 antibody; Protein 289A antibody; TACD1 antibody; TACSTD1 antibody; TROP1 antibody; Tumor associated calcium signal transducer 1 antibody; Tumor associated calcium signal transducer 2 precursor antibody; Tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 1 antibody

SEQUENCE SIMILARITIES

Belongs to the EPCAM family.

TISSUE SPECIFICITY

Highly and selectively expressed by undifferentiated rather than differentiated embryonic stem cells (ESC). Levels rapidly diminish as soon as ESC's differentiate (at protein levels). Expressed in almost all epithelial cell membranes but not on mesodermal or neural cell membranes. Found on the surface of adenocarcinoma.

POST-TRANSLATIONAL MODIFICATION

Hyperglycosylated in carcinoma tissue as compared with autologous normal epithelia. Glycosylation at Asn-198 is crucial for protein stability.

SUBCELLULAR LOCATION

Cell membrane

FUNCTION

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a transmembrane glycoprotein mediating Ca2+-independent homotypic cell-cell adhesion in epithelia. EpCAM is also involved in cell signaling, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Additionally, EpCAM has oncogenic potential via its capacity to upregulate c-myc, e-fabp, and cyclins A & E. Since EpCAM is expressed exclusively in epithelia and epithelial-derived neoplasms, EpCAM can be used as diagnostic marker for various cancers. It appears to play a role in tumorigenesis and metastasis of carcinomas, so it can also act as a potential prognostic marker and as a potential target for immunotherapeutic strategies. Mutations in EpCAM have also been associated with congenital tufting enteropathy which causes intractable diarrhea in newborn children. Specificity/Source: This antibody is produced by immunizing mice with recombinant protein corresponding to a region of EpCAM.