XAGE1B - X Antigen Family Member 1B

This gene is a member of the XAGE subfamily, which belongs to the GAGE family. The GAGE genes are expressed in a variety of tumors and in some fetal and reproductive tissues. This gene is strongly expressed in Ewing's sarcoma, alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and normal testis. The protein encoded by this gene contains a nuclear localization signal and shares a sequence similarity with other GAGE/PAGE proteins. Because of the expression pattern and the sequence similarity, this protein also belongs to a family of CT (cancer-testis) antigens. Alternative splicing of this gene, in addition to alternative transcription start sites, results in multiple transcript variants. [provided by RefSeq, Jan 2010]