UNIPROT #

P16422

PROTEIN NAME

EpCAM

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 junction. Plasma membrane.

FUNCTION

The epithelial cell adhesion molecule Ep-CAM, which is also designated tumor-associated calcium signal transducer 1 and MK-1, is a monomeric membrane glycoprotein that is expressed in most normal human epithelium and carcinomas. The human Ep-CAM gene encodes a 314 amino acid protein that is expressed as two forms, a major form and a minor form, which are reduced upon treatment with the amino-glycosylation inhibitor tunicamycin. Ep-CAM is overexpressed in a variety of carcinomas and is, therefore, a potential target for the visualization and therapy of human solid tumors. Ep-CAM contains an extracellular domain containing two epidermal growth factor-like repeats, followed by a cysteine poor region, which is necessary for the adhesion properties of the molecule.