Description
An antibody that reacts with ovarian cancers and mesotheliomas was used to isolate a cell surface antigen named mesothelin. Although the function of mesothelin is unknown, it may play a role in cellular adhesion and is present on mesothelium, mesotheliomas, and ovarian cancers. This gene encodes a preproprotein that is cleaved into two products, megakaryocyte potentiating factor and mesothelin. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants.