Visinin-like protein 1/VSNL1

Visinin-like protein 1 is a low molecular weight protein which is very abundant in the nervous system and is found only in neurons, though different neurons have different levels of expression. It is particularly concentrated in cerebellar Purkinje cells, and generally tends to be most abundant in neuronal perikarya and dendrites. The protein was discovered independently by several groups and is therefore also sometimes known as hippocalcin-like protein 3, HLP3, HPCAL3, HUVISL1, VLP-1, VILIP and VILIP-1. The protein belongs to the large superfamily of calmodulin and paravalbumin type proteins which function by binding Calcium ions. Calcium binding alters the conformation of these proteins and allow them to interact with other binding partners, the properties of which they may alter.