Delta-like 3, also known as DLL3, is a protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

 which in humans is encoded by the DLL3 gene

Gene

A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

. Two transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been identified for this gene.

Function

This gene encodes a member of the delta protein ligand family. This family functions as Notch ligands that are characterized by a DSL domain, EGF repeats

EGF-like domain

EGF-like domain is an evolutionary conserved protein domain, of about thirty to forty amino-acid residues long, which was found in a large number of mostly animal proteins. All these repeats are found in the extracellular domain of membrane-bound proteins or in proteins known to be secreted...

, and a transmembrane domain.

Clinical significance

Mutations in this gene cause autosomal recessive spondylocostal dysostosis 1.

External Links

• GeneReviews/NIH/NCBI/UW entry on Spondylocostal Dysostosis, Autosomal Recessive

Further reading