| Modification Notes |
The origins of the lysozyme proteins date back an estimated 400 to 600 million years. Generally, lysozyme genes are relatively small, roughly 10 kilobases in length, and are composed of four exons and three introns. Originally a bacteriolytic defensive agent, the function of this family of proteins adapted to serve a digestive function in its present forms. Lysozymes in tissues and body fluids are associated with the monocyte-macrophage system and enhance the activity of immunoagents. LYG1 (lysozyme G-like 1) is a 194 amino acid secreted protein that belongs to the glycosyl hydrolase 23 family. The gene encoding LYG1 maps to human chromosome 2, which consists of 237 million bases, encodes over 1,400 genes and makes up approximately 8% of the human genome. A number of genetic diseases are linked to genes on chromosome 2 including Harlequin icthyosis, sitosterolemia and Alström syndrome. |