9.B.411.  The Prominin (Prominin) Family

Prominins may play a role in cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. They bind cholesterol in cholesterol-containing plasma membrane microdomains and may play a role in the organization of the apical plasma membrane in epithelial cells. During early retinal development they act as key regulators of disk morphogenesis (Zacchigna et al. 2009). They are involved in regulation of MAPK and Akt signaling pathways. In neuroblastoma cells, they suppress cell differentiation such as neurite outgrowth in a RET-dependent manner. Prominins control ciliary length throughout the animal kingdom as demonstrated using human prominin-1 and zebrafish prominin-3. Homologs may be restricted to animals.

 


 

References:

Jászai, J., K. Thamm, J. Karbanová, P. Janich, C.A. Fargeas, W.B. Huttner, and D. Corbeil. (2020). Prominins control ciliary length throughout the animal kingdom: New lessons from human prominin-1 and zebrafish prominin-3. J. Biol. Chem. 295: 6007-6022.
Zacchigna, S., H. Oh, M. Wilsch-Bräuninger, E. Missol-Kolka, J. Jászai, S. Jansen, N. Tanimoto, F. Tonagel, M. Seeliger, W.B. Huttner, D. Corbeil, M. Dewerchin, S. Vinckier, L. Moons, and P. Carmeliet. (2009). Loss of the cholesterol-binding protein prominin-1/CD133 causes disk dysmorphogenesis and photoreceptor degeneration. J. Neurosci. 29: 2297-2308.
Zhang, P., W. Lin, T. Wu, S. Rao, D. Huang, J. Wu, T. Tao, and J. Hou. (2025). Nuclear export of transmembrane protein PROM2 is specially regulated by CRM1 and affects the sensitivity of ferroptosis in gastric cancer. Gastric Cancer 28: 837-851.
Examples:

TC#NameOrganismal TypeExample
9.B.411.1.1

Prominin-1 (PROM1; CD133) 865 aas and 8 TMSs in a 4 (N-terminal) + 2 (central) + 2 (C-terminal) arrangement.

PROM1 of Homo sapiens

 
9.B.411.1.2

Prominin-2 (PROM2) of 834 aas and 6 TMSs in an apparent 1 (N-terminal) +2 + 2 + 1 (C-terminal) TMS arrangement (Jászai et al. 2020).  Nuclear export of PROM2 is regulated by CRM1 (TC# 1 I 1.1.3) and affects the sensitivity of ferroptosis in gastric cancer (Zhang et al. 2025).

PROM2 of Homo sapiens

 
9.B.411.1.3

Prominin-like-3 (Prominin-3) of 830 aas and 6 TMSs in a 1 + 2 + 2 + 1 TMS arrangement (Jászai et al. 2020).

PROM3 of Danio rerio (Zebrafish) (Brachydanio rerio)

 
9.B.411.1.4

Prominin (PROM) isoform C pf 911 aas and 5 TMSs in a 2 + 2 + 1 (C-terminal) TMS arrangement.

PROM of Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit fly)

 
9.B.411.1.5

Prominin-like protein of 836 aas and 5 TMSs in a 2 + 2 + 1 TMS arrangement.

PROM of Sarcoptes scabiei