About SCGB / Secretoglobin:
Secretoglobin is the term given to a family of proteins encoded by the SCGB gene. They are only ever found in mammals, and the family used to go by the name: Uteroglobin/Clara cell 10-kDa. This was due to the two aliases of its founding member Uteroglobin.
The secretoglobins were classified by sequence homology into 6 subfamilies in 2006. The human and mouse genomes are home to three families, while subfamilies 4 through 6 are not found in either. It is also thought that these extra subfamilies could be duplicates of existing groups.
SCGB Structure
The proteins in this family are predominately alpha-helical, linked by disulfide. They are dimeric proteins, with the dimer formed in an antiparallel way. The interface of the dimer involves a cavity that forms across two monomers, which can then hold small-to-medium-sized ligands. Some of these ligands include steroids and phospholipids. It is common to find the redox state of the cystines when the binding and release are formed.
Secretoglobin Functions & Interactions
SCGB is believed to have many different functions in the body, with most members of the family playing regulatory roles. One key function is its role in lung inflammation, where research has shown that the loss of SCGB in mice led to increased inflammation. Therefore, it was concluded that a possible function of secretoglobin was as an anti-inflammatory agent in the lungs.