NCALD (Gene)

This gene encodes a member of the neuronal calcium sensor (NCS) family of calcium-binding proteins. The protein contains an N-terminal myristoylation signal and four EF-hand calcium binding loops. The protein is cytosolic at resting calcium levels; however, elevated intracellular calcium levels induce a conformational change that exposes the myristoyl group, resulting in protein association with membranes and partial co-localization with the perinuclear trans-golgi network. The protein is thought to be a regulator of G protein-coupled receptor signal transduction. Several alternatively spliced variants of this gene have been determined, all of which encode the same protein; additional variants may exist but their biological validity has not been determined. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]