Pirin (1E8) Rat mAb #9777

Pirin is a highly conserved nuclear protein and a member of the cupin superfamily of proteins, all of which contain two conserved β-barrel fold domains (1). Pirin functions as a co-factor for NFI/CTF1 and Bcl-3, implicating it in DNA replication, transcriptional activation and apoptosis (2,3). Both human and bacterial pirins catalyze the di-oxygenation of quercetin, one of a class of widespread naturally occurring flavenoid compounds that have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities (4). Flavenoids exert these beneficial activities by functioning as antioxidants that stabilize cellular free radical molecules and by directly modulating cell signaling pathways involving PI 3-kinase, Akt/PKB, PKC and MAP kinases (5). Quercetin has also been directly implicated in the regulation of NF-κB activity; thus, Pirin may exert its apoptotic functions both by directly regulating Bcl-3/NF-κB activity and by modulating quercetin levels in the cell (6).