FAT1: Proteins and Enzymes

The Drosophila FAT 1 gene does not belong to the classical cadherin gene family yet encodes a transmembrane protein containing 34 cadherin repeats in association with a number of other motifs. The Drosophila FAT locus encodes a tumor suppressor gene and recessive (loss-of-function) mutations lead to hyperplastic overgrowth of the imaginal discs, indicating that contact dependent cell interactions may play an important role in regulating growth and cell adhesion. This excessive cell proliferation occurs while maintaining normal epithelial organization and differentiation potential. Expressed in many epithelial and some endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Humans contain many homologs of FAT including FAT1, or hFAT