Fibrinogen alpha chain Antibody #69708

Fibrinogen is a large, multimeric plasma glycoprotein that is constitutively synthesized by liver hepatocytes. As a key component of blood clots, fibrinogen plays a central role in hemostasis and thrombosis. In total, six polypeptide chains (2Aα, 2Bβ, and 2γ) are produced intracellularly in a coordinated manner, which are then covalently linked together by a network of disulfide bonds to form a fibrinogen heterohexamer (1). Research studies have shown that expression of the three fibrinogen genes is upregulated as part of the acute phase inflammatory response (2,3).

Upon engagement of the clotting cascade, thrombin-mediated cleavage of the fibrinogen Aα and Bβ chains creates fibrin monomers and a platform for the polymerization of fibrin monomers into protofibrils and an insoluble web of stable fibrin fibers (4,5). Whereas thrombin is the enzyme that drives fibrin polymerization and clot formation, plasmin is the enzymatic counterpart that facilitates fibrinolysis and clot breakdown (6).

In addition to its position as a central node in the normal coagulation cascade, dysregulated fibrin deposition has been observed in pathological conditions such as cancer and viral infection (7,8).