What is MOG or myelin oligodendroyte glycoprotein?

MOG or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein is a key central nervous system (CNS)-specific autoantigen for primary demyelination in multiple sclerosis. The gene product of the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein MOG is a membrane protein expressed on the oligodendrocyte cell surface and the outermost surface of myelin sheaths, in the brain and spinal cord. MOG is a primary target antigen involved in immune-mediated demyelination, and is thought to be involved in completion and maintenance of the myelin sheath as well as in cell-cell communication. Furthermore, alternatively spliced transcript variants of the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein encoding different isoforms have been identified. MOG is a transmembrane protein that belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily, contains an Ig-like domain, and has two potential membrane-spanning regions.