Hyaluronan and proteoglycan link protein 2 (HAPLN2) also known as brain link protein 1 (BRAL1) is a protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

 that in humans is encoded by the HAPLN2 gene

Gene

A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

. HAPLN1

HAPLN1

Hyaluronan and proteoglycan link protein 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the HAPLN1 gene.-Interactions:HAPLN1 has been shown to interact with Versican.-Further reading:...

 codes for a related link protein that is expressed in cartilage

Cartilage

Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs...

 while Bral1 is expressed in brain

Brain

The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...

.

Function

Bral1 interact

Protein-protein interaction

Protein–protein interactions occur when two or more proteins bind together, often to carry out their biological function. Many of the most important molecular processes in the cell such as DNA replication are carried out by large molecular machines that are built from a large number of protein...

s with versican

Versican

Versican, also known as VCAN, is a large extracellular matrix proteoglycan that is present in a variety of human tissues. It is encoded by the VCAN gene....

 and brevican in nodes of Ranvier

Nodes of Ranvier

Myelin sheath gaps or nodes of Ranvier are the gaps formed between the myelin sheaths generated by different cells. A myelin sheath is a many-layered coating, largely composed of a fatty substance called myelin, that wraps around the axon of a neuron and very efficiently insulates it...

. In mice with reduced Bralp1 expression the extracellular matrix

Extracellular matrix

In biology, the extracellular matrix is the extracellular part of animal tissue that usually provides structural support to the animal cells in addition to performing various other important functions. The extracellular matrix is the defining feature of connective tissue in animals.Extracellular...

 at nodes of Ranvier is disrupted and action potential

Action potential

In physiology, an action potential is a short-lasting event in which the electrical membrane potential of a cell rapidly rises and falls, following a consistent trajectory. Action potentials occur in several types of animal cells, called excitable cells, which include neurons, muscle cells, and...

conduction is abnormal.