α-Fetoprotein (human, recombinant)

α-Fetoprotein is a glycoprotein and member of the albuminoid gene family and is involved in extracellular transport, cell proliferation, and the immune response.^1,2 It is composed of a single polypeptide chain with three domains that form a V shape, the inside of which comprises the ligand-binding domain, and contains 15 disulfide bridges and one or more glycosylation sites depending on the species.¹ There are a variety of isoforms and conformational variants of α-fetoprotein, and it contains several major and minor antigenic sites.² α-Fetoprotein is produced by the embryonic yolk sac and fetal liver and levels are highest prenatally.¹ It transports a variety of molecules in the circulation, including fatty acids, bilirubin, estrogens, and certain metal ions and is involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and the immune response in developmental and pathological states.^1,3 Maternal serum or amniotic fluid levels of α-fetoproteins have been used as preliminary diagnostic markers for Down’s syndrome, neural tube defects, and other embryonic abnormalities during pregnancy.^1,4 In adults, increased levels of serum α-fetoprotein are positively correlated with primary liver cancers, such as hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, germ cell tumors, such as yolk sac tumors, and ataxia telangiectasia.⁴ Cayman’s α-Fetoprotein (human, recombinant) protein is a disulfide-linked homodimer. The reduced monomer, composed of α-fetoprotein (amino acids 19-609) fused to human IgG1 Fc at its C-terminus, consists of 832 amino acids, has a calculated molecular weight of 93.5 kDa, and a predicted N-terminus of Arg19 after signal peptide cleavage.

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1. Gillespie, J.R., and Uversky, V.N. Structure and function of α-fetoprotein: A biophysical overview. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1480(1-2), 41-56 (2000).

2. Mizejewski, G.J. Alpha-fetoprotein structure and function: Relevance to isoforms, epitopes, and conformational variants. Exp. Biol. Med. (Maywood) 226(5), 377-408 (2001).

3. Munson, P.V., Adamik, J., and Butterfield, L.H. Immunomodulatory impact of α-fetoprotein. Trends Immunol. 43(6), 438-448 (2022).

4. Murray, M.J., and Nicholson, J.C. α-Fetoprotein. Arch. Dis. Child. Educ. Pract. Ed. 96(4), 141-147 (2011).