| Modification Notes |
The glutamine, leucine, lysine, and serine-rich protein ELKS, also designated Rab6-interacting protein 2 and CAZ-associated structural protein (CAST) or the acronym ERC, is a member of a family of RIM-binding proteins. RIMs are presynaptic active zone proteins that regulate neurotransmitter release. This class of protein functions by recruiting I˚Bå to the I˚B kinase (IKK) complex, and thus serves a regulatory function for IKK activation. Five isoforms of ELKS (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon) exist and have multiple coding region differences and distinct C-termini. Only brain-specific ELKS bind to RIMs, but both ubiquitous and brain-specific ELKS bind to Rab6, a GTP-binding protein involved in membrane traffic at the Golgi complex. Fusion of ELKS to RET due to translocation t(10;12)(q11;p13) results in a papillary thyroid carcinoma. |