Ikaros monoclonal antibody

The Ikaros family of zinc-finger DNA-binding proteins belongs to the Kruppel transcription factor superfamily. Ikaros proteins are characterized by the presence of an amino-terminal zinc finger DNA-binding domain and a carboxy-terminal dimerization domain. Members of the Ikaros family include Ikaros, Aiolos, Helios, EOS, and Pegasus. All family members can form homodimers and heterodimers with other members of the Ikaros family. Most also contain multiple isoforms that are generated as a result of differential splicing, with some isoforms behaving in a dominant negative manner upon dimerization.Ikaros (IKZF1, LYF1) is the prototypical Ikaros family zinc-finger transcription factor and is expressed abundantly in lymphoid cells. Genetic studies in mice demonstrate that Ikaros is a tumor suppressor that is important for the normal development of B, T, natural killer, and dendritic cells. Additional studies show that imbalanced expression of different Ikaros isoforms, as well as mutations in the corresponding IKAROS gene, can be associated with a number of hematologic malignancies in humans.