ELMO1 protein, initially identified as a mammalian homologue of C. elegans CED-12, is required for cell migration and engulfment of dying cells. The human ELMO1 gene is localized on chromosome 7p14.2 and encodes a polypeptide with 44% similarity to C. elegans CED-12. Multiple transcript variants encoding three different isoforms for the protein has been identified. ELMO1 is a soluble cytoplasmic protein with a potential SH3 binding PxxP motif near the C terminus (conserved from worm to human), a putative leucine zipper around aa630 (conserved in all mammalian proteins) and a putative pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. It is widely expressed in all tissues. The protein functionally cooperates with Crk and dedicator of cytokinesis 1 (Dock180), and promotes phagocytosis and morphological changes.