O14862

Interferon-inducible protein AIM2 (Absent in melanoma 2) is a 343 amino acid protein belonging to the HIN-200 family. Induced by IFN-γ, AIM2 is thought to act as a tumor suppressor by repressing NFκB transcriptional activity. Localized to the nucleus, AIM2 contains one DAPIN domain and one HIN-200 domain. The DAPIN domain is composed mostly of α-helixes and is a protein-protein interaction domain capable of binding other DAPIN domains. The HIN-200 domain has been shown to bind directly to DNA, which, along with the binding of another protein ASC, results in the activation of Caspase-1. AIM2 is present as a homodimer and is expressed highly in small intestine, testis, peripheral blood leukocytes and spleen. Defects in AIM2 are believed to be a cause of microsatellite unstable colon cancers.