The gene for otolin in mice is on chromosome 3E12. In humans it is located at 3q26.1
At the N-terminal end there is a signal peptide. The N-terminal end has four cysteine residues. Adjacent to this is a stiff collagen domain with 75 Gly-X-Y repeats. It also contains a cysteine residue, and in human otolin, there are four cystein residues in this domain. At the opposite end is the C1q domain. The otolin gene in mammals contains four introns and five exons.[5]
Superstructure
Otolin combines with several other otolin molecules to form an oligomer, probably a trimer. It also binds to otoconin-90 and cerebellin-1.[5]