Glial fibrillary acidic protein

Glial fibrillary acidic protein or GFAP is a type III protein of the intermediate filament principally found in astrocytes in the central nervous system, but can also be found in Neurons, Hepatic stellate cells, Kidney mesangial cells, Pancreatic Stellate cells, and Leydig Cells. It has a role in the Cytoskeleton of the Astrocyte and possibly many other stelate shaped cells.

Increased expression of this protein is evident in different situations commonly referred to as "Astrocytic Activation".

It is related to vimentin and undergoes post-translational modification when the astrocytes are dying. Upon cell-death, the protein get citrullinated, which leads to protein unfolding and proteolytic degradation.

Proteína fibrilar acídica de la glia