Mouse transmembrane BAX inhibitor motif 3 (Tmbim3) encodes a 38 kDa transmembrane protein expressed in the central nervous system.

Cell survival proteins play an important role throughout nervous system development, normal physiological processes, and pathological conditions. Transmembrane BAX inhibitor motif 3 (TMBIM3, also known as GRINA), is a member of a family of proteins that contain a conserved BAX inhibitor-1 motif. This family of proteins includes several members that have been shown to protect cells from apoptosis. In this study, the authors show that TMBIM3 is expressed in the brain including high levels in the hippocampus. Biochemical and sequence analysis of TMBIM3 demonstrates that the rat, murine, and human genes encode an approximately 38 kDa protein with a predicted seven transmembrane domain topology. A Tmbim3 knockout mouse line did not have an obvious phenotype, but may prove useful in future studies of this family of proteins.