MAGEF1 is a member of the MAGE (melanoma antigen gene) superfamily.
Most known members of the MAGE superfamily are expressed in tumors, testis and fetal tissues, which has been described as a cancer/testis or "CT" expression pattern. MAGEF1, however, is expressed in all adult and fetal tissues tested, as well as in many tumor types including ovarian, breast, cervical, melanoma and leukemia. The coding region of MAGE-F1 is contained within a single exon and includes a microsatellite repeat. Several MAGE genes are ubiquitously expressed suggesting a role for MAGE encoded proteins in normal cell physiology.