Description
The High Mobility Group Box1 Protein (HMGB1) is an ubiquitous small protein (30 kDa) that is the major component of the non-histone nuclear protein group.
The protein is ubiquitously expressed in eukaryotes and hereby serves a plethora of different functions within the subcellular localizations. HMGB1 can easily shuttle between the nucleus and cytoplasm and is widely expressed in various tissues. Within the nucleus, HMGB1 is involved in the DNA-binding and folding activity, as well as a regulator of various key DNA processes (recombination, repair, transcription, gene expression and genomic stability) However, once released into the cytoplasm by immunocompetent cells, HMGB1 is involved in disease pathogenesis and inflammation (damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP)). HMGB1 also serves as a necrosis marker, is involved in immune response processes (liver failure, rheumatoid arthritis, acute lung injury), disseminated intravascular coagulation, and measured in case of an drug-induced liver failure.
