A2M Proteins

Protein Information

Alpha 2-Macroglobulin (a2M), is a approximately 720-kDa homotetrameric glycoprotein composed of four identical approximately 180 kDa subunits. aAlpha 2M shares with other alpha-macroglobulins, like the complement components C3 and C4 and the pregnancy zone protein PZP, an extraordinary binding capacity for a variety of ligands. This allows the alpha-macroglobulins to serve as humoral defense barriers against foreign peptides in the plasma. Alpha 2M interacts and captures virtually any proteinase, often referred to as a panprotease inhibitor. In the brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, Alpha 2M also has been localized to diffuse amyloid plaques, supporting an important role for alpha 2M in AD etiopathology.

Synonyms

A2M; A2m1; A2maa; A2MAC1; A2MD; A2mp; Alpha 2 M; alpha-2-M; Alpha-2-M (A2M); Alpha-2-macroglobulin; alpha-2-macroglobulin-P; C3 and PZP-like alpha-2-macroglobulin domain-containing protein 5; CPAMD5; DKFZp779B086; FWP007; Mam; S863 7; S863-7