HMGB3 (F2P1J) Rabbit mAb #49401

High mobility group protein B3 (HMGB3), also known as HMG2A or HMG4, belongs to a family of highly conserved proteins that contain HMG box domains (1,2). All three family members (HMGB1, HMGB2, and HMGB3) contain two HMG box domains and a C-terminal acidic domain. HMGB1 is a widely expressed and highly abundant protein (2). HMGB2 is widely expressed during embryonic development, but it is restricted to lymphoid organs and testis in adult animals (3). HMGB3 is only expressed during embryogenesis (4). While expression varies, the biochemical properties of the different family members may be indistinguishable. The HMG box domains facilitate the binding of HMGB proteins to the minor groove of DNA, which results in local bending of the DNA double helix (1,2). HMGB proteins are recruited by and help facilitate the assembly of site-specific DNA-binding proteins to their cognate binding sites in chromatin. For example, HMGB1 and HMGB2 facilitate the binding of Hox proteins, Oct proteins, p53, Rel proteins, and steroid hormone receptor proteins to their target gene promoters (1,2). HMGB3 plays a major role in hematopoietic stem cells, striking a balance between self-renewal and differentiation (5-7). It has also been shown to be upregulated in a wide variety of tumor types, including non-small cell lung, bladder, and esophageal cancers (8-10).