DARPP-32 (which stands for dopamine and cAMP-regulated neuronal phosphoprotein, approximately 32 kilodaltons) has a calculated molecular weight of roughly 32,000 Daltons based on its primary amino acid sequence. However, due to its intrinsically disordered structural nature and post-translational phosphorylation states, its apparent molecular weight observed during experimental migration on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) often appears anomalously higher, typically migrating around 37 to 40 kilodaltons. This intracellular signaling protein plays a pivotal regulatory role in dopaminergic neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity within the mammalian brain.