Lipocalin 9 (LCN9)

Members of the lipocalin family, such as LCN9, have a common structure consisting of an 8-stranded antiparallel beta-barrel that forms a cup-shaped ligand-binding pocket or calyx. Lipocalins generally bind small hydrophobic ligands and transport them to specific cells.Suzuki et al. (2004) cloned mouse Lcn9, which encodes a deduced 178-amino acid protein. They identified human LCN9 by database analysis. Northern blot analysis detected Lcn9 expression in mouse epididymis only, and epididymal expression began at 3 weeks of age. In situ hybridization detected Lcn9 in the epithelial lining of the initial segment of mouse epididymis. Suzuki et al. (2004) found that expression of Lcn9 in mouse epididymis disappeared after castration and was not restored by testosterone administration.