This gene encodes a member of the cytochrome P450 hemethiolate protein superfamily which are involved in oxidizing various substrates in the metabolic pathway. It is implicated in the metabolism of fatty acid precursors into n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Mutations in this gene result in Bietti crystalline corneoretinal dystrophy. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]
Forensic Context
A study in humans demonstrated that major blunt trauma triggers a selective change in gene expression in circulating leukocytes, with the CYP4V2 being among the top ten down-regulated genes following injury [Brandfellner et al. DOI:10.1097/SHK.0b013e31829de02f]. A study in Lucilia sericata demonstrated that the CYP4V2 transcript levels were highest with lowest variation at 0-2 hours and significantly decreased as development proceeded, enabling its use for egg age prediction [Tarone et al. DOI:10.1111/J.1556-4029.2007.00587.X]. Generalized additive models incorporating its expression data, along with other genes, explained up to 76.7% of deviance and achieved 91% of predictions within 2 hours of true age, supporting the feasibility of using gene expression for precise postmortem interval estimation.