GFAP Human

Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) is a type III intermediate filament protein that is predominantly expressed in astrocytes, which are a major type of glial cell in the central nervous system (CNS). GFAP plays a crucial role in maintaining the structural integrity and function of astrocytes. The human recombinant form of GFAP is produced using recombinant DNA technology, which allows for the expression of the protein in a host organism, such as bacteria or yeast.

GFAP is composed of a central rod domain flanked by non-helical head and tail domains. The rod domain is responsible for the formation of coiled-coil dimers, which further assemble into higher-order structures, forming the intermediate filaments. These filaments provide mechanical support to astrocytes and are involved in various cellular processes, including cell shape maintenance, motility, and response to injury.

GFAP expression begins during embryonic development in radial glia and continues throughout life in astrocytes. The expression of GFAP is highly sensitive to various pathological conditions, such as acute brain injury (e.g., stroke, trauma), chronic neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease), and aging . The human GFAP promoter has been extensively used to drive the expression of transgenes in astrocytes, facilitating the study of astrocyte function in health and disease .

The recombinant production of GFAP involves the insertion of the human GFAP gene into an expression vector, which is then introduced into a host organism. Commonly used hosts include Escherichia coli (E. coli) and yeast. The host organism expresses the GFAP protein, which can then be purified using various chromatographic techniques. The recombinant GFAP protein is often tagged with a histidine (His) tag to facilitate purification .

Recombinant GFAP has several applications in research and clinical settings:

1. Astrocyte Marker: GFAP is widely used as a marker to identify and study astrocytes in the CNS. It helps in distinguishing astrocytes from other glial cells.
2. Disease Research: GFAP is used to study the role of astrocytes in various neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.
3. Injury Response: GFAP is a key marker for astrocyte activation in response to CNS injuries, such as traumatic brain injury and stroke.
4. Biomarker: GFAP levels in blood and cerebrospinal fluid can serve as biomarkers for brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases .