Recombinant Human CDNF Protein, CF

CDNF (conserved dopamine neurotrophic factor), also called Armetl1 (arginine-rich, mutated in early stage tumors-like 1) in mouse, is a 17 - 19 kDa secreted protein that shares 62% amino acid (aa) identity with human MANF (mesencephalic-astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor), also called Armet in mouse (1). The Armet designation is not preferred, because the proteins when translated are not actually arginine-rich (1). However, both CDNF and MANF have a high proportion of charged residues, a pattern of eight cysteines shown to form intramoleculular disulfides, and a C-terminal endoplasmic reticulum retention signal (shown to function in MANF) (1 - 3). The human CDNF cDNA encodes a 187 aa protein with a 24 aa signal sequence and a 163 mature sequence (1). Mature human CDNF shares 80%, 84%, 90% and 92% aa identity with mouse, rat, equine and bovine CDNF, respectively. Although CDNF mRNA and protein are expressed in pre- and post-natal mouse brain, they are most abundant in adult heart, skeletal muscle and testis. Transcripts within the postnatal mouse brain are concentrated in the hippocampus, thalamus, corpus callosum and optic nerve (1). Like MANF and GDNF, CDNF promotes survival of dopaminergic neurons in vitro (1, 4). In a rat Parkinson’s disease model, CDNF also promotes rescue and restoration of dopaminergic neurons in vivo (1).